The Road Toward Heemstede, from Views in the Surroundings of Haarlem (Plaisante Plaetsen)
1610/20
Medium
Etching on ivory laid paper
Dimensions
Plate: 10.2 × 15.8 cm (4 1/16 × 6 1/4 in.); sheet: 15 × 21 cm (5 15/16 × 8 5/16 in.)
Classification
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
268459
Art Historical Context
Claes Jansz. Visscher, a leading Dutch engraver and publisher during the early Dutch Golden Age, created *The Road Toward Heemstede* around 1610–1620 as part of his celebrated series *Views in the Surroundings of Haarlem (Plaisante Plaetsen)*, or "Pleasant Places." This etching captures a serene rural path winding toward the village of Heemstede, just south of Haarlem, evoking the tranquil beauty of the Dutch countryside. Visscher's precise lines depict lush trees, distant farms, and travelers, inviting viewers to imagine a leisurely journey through the flat, fertile landscapes that defined th...
About the Artist
Claes Jansz. Visscher · 1586–1652
Claes Jansz. Visscher, also known as Nicolas Joannis Visscher II or Joannis Piscator, was a prominent Dutch Golden Age draughtsman, engraver, mapmaker, and publisher born in Amsterdam in 1587 and died there on June 19, 1652. The son of the printmaker and publisher Jan Claesz. Visscher (c. 1550–1612), he learned the art of etching and printing from his father, helping to expand the family trade int...