Travelers Approaching a Bridge
1601 to 1650
Medium
etching on laid paper
Dimensions
plate: 15.5 x 20.9 cm (6 1/8 x 8 1/4 in.) sheet: 15.7 x 21.1 cm (6 3/16 x 8 5/16 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of the Estate of Leo Steinberg
Accession Number
2011.139.7
Rights
Public Domain
Art Historical Context
**Travelers Approaching a Bridge** is a delicate etching by the French artist Gabriel Perelle, created between 1601 and1650. Perelle, a master engraver from a prominent family of printmakers, specialized in detailed topographical views of landscapes, architecture, and gardens during France's Baroque era. This intimate plate, measuring just 15.5 x 20.9 cm, captures travelers nearing a bridge in a serene, idealized countryside scene, evoking the era's fascination with travel and the picturesque. Etched on laid paper—a traditional handmade sheet with visible chain lines that added texture and authenticity to prints—this work showcases Perelle's virtuoso technique. Etching allowed for fluid lines and subtle tonal gradations, mimicking drawing while enabling multiple impressions for wider distribution. Such prints were prized collectibles among Europe's elite, documenting real and imagined vistas amid the grandeur of Louis XIII's reign. Housed in the National Gallery of Art's Department of Prints (CG-E) as a gift from the estate of art historian Leo Steinberg, this piece highlights the artistic and cultural role of prints in preserving 17th-century visions of harmony between humanity and nature. Visitors will appreciate its fine craftsmanship, a window into an age of exploration and elegance.
About the Artist
Gabriel Perelle · 1604–1677
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