Unus Americanus ex Virginia (An American from Virginia)
Medium
Etching; second state of two
Dimensions
Plate: 4 1/16 × 3 1/16 in. (10.3 × 7.8 cm) Sheet: 4 1/8 × 3 3/16 in. (10.5 × 8.1 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Harry G. Friedman, 1956
Accession Number
56.507.9
Tags
Art Historical Context
Wenceslaus Hollar, masterful Bohemian etcher who flourished in 17th-century England, created *Unus Americanus ex (An American from Virginia in 1645. This intimate etching, in its second state of two, captures a of a man from the Virginia colony, measuring just over 4 by 3 inches on the plate. Hollar's prodigious output—over 2,500 prints—showcased his virtuosic line work, bridging Baroque precision with documentary realism, and this piece exemplifies his fascination with exotic subjects brought to European audiences. Set against the backdrop of English colonial expansion in North America, the ...
About the Artist
Wenceslaus Hollar · 1607–1677
Wenceslaus Hollar (1607-1677) was a prolific Bohemian etcher who became one of the most accomplished printmakers of the seventeenth century. Born in Prague, he trained under Matthäus Merian in Frankfurt before entering the service of Thomas Howard, Earl of Arundel, in 1636. Hollar spent most of his career in England, where he produced approximately 2,740 etchings documenting an extraordinary range...