Vertumnus en Pomona

About this artwork

collector's mark: Lugt 2228

Art Historical Context

**Vertumnus en Pom** by Gerard Valck (c 1681–1726) captures a timeless mythological scene from Ovid's *amorphoses*, where the shape-shifting god Vertumnus courts the nymph Pomona. Created during the Dutch Golden Age's waning years, this print reflects the era's fascination with classical tales, blending romance and disguise in a narrative popular among Baroque artists. Valck, a prominent Amsterdam engraver from a family of printmakers, likely drew inspiration from paintings by masters like Rubens, transforming them into accessible works for collectors and scholars. Rendered on paper (386 × 29...

About the Artist

Gerard Valck · 1652–1726

Gerard Valck (1652–1726) was a Dutch engraver, publisher, and cartographer whose career bridged the 17th-century Dutch Golden Age and the 18th-century Enlightenment. Born on September 30, 1652, in Amsterdam to a silversmith father, and dying on October 21, 1726, Valck played a crucial role in introducing and developing mezzotint printmaking in England while also establishing a significant publishi...