The Little Angels on the Hill
1551 to 1600
Medium
etching
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Ailsa Mellon Bruce Fund
Accession Number
1973.32.83
Art Historical Context
**The Little Angels on the** is a charming etching by Herman van Swanevelt, created between 1551 and 1600. Housed in the National Gallery Art's CG-E Prints department and acquired through the generous Ailsa Mellon Bruce, this work exemplifies the refined printmaking traditions of the late Renaissance period. Van Swanevelt, a skilled Dutch artist, captures a whimsical scene suggested by the title—likely evoking ethereal figures amid a natural landscape, blending spirituality with the beauty of the everyday world. Etching, the chosen medium, was a transformative technique in the 16th century. A...
About the Artist
Herman van Swanevelt · 1603–1655
Herman van Swanevelt (1603–1655) was a leading Dutch Baroque painter, draughtsman, and etcher, celebrated for his luminous Italianate landscapes that bridged the classical ideals of Rome with the emerging naturalism of the Dutch Golden Age. Born in Woerden, near Utrecht, to a family of artisans whose lineage traced back to the renowned Lucas van Leyden, Swanevelt's early life and training remain s...