The Swann's Inn
Medium
etching
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Andrew W. Mellon Fund
Accession Number
1975.59.6
Art Historical Context
Welcome to the National Gallery of Art, where *The Swann's Inn* (published 1612) captivates with its intricate etching by Claes Jansz Vcher. This print traces a fascinating lineage of Northern European printmakers: Visscher worked after Johannes van Doeteum the Elder, who followed his brother Lucas, both drawing from the anonymous Master of Small Landscapes. Active in Antwerp during the late 16th century, master pioneered a genre of diminutive, detailed rural vignettes that brought everyday scenery to life on paper. Etching, the medium here, revolutionized printmaking by allowing artists to d...