Verscheyden Lantschapjes

About this artwork

verzamelaarsmerk, verso linksonder, gestempeld: Lugt 240

Art Historical Context

Willem Pietersz Buytewech’s 1621 etching *Verscheyden Lantschapjes* (“Various Little Landscapes offers an intimate glimpse into the early Dutch Golden Age fascination with the natural world. Measuring just 87 by 128 millimetres, the small print was designed for close, personal viewing—perhaps slipped into a collector’s album or portfolio. Buytewech, often called “Geestige Willem” for his inventive spirit, was among the first generation of artists to treat landscape as an independent subject worthy of sustained attention. Executed in the newly popular medium of etching, the work allowed for de...