Village Road, plate three after Pictures of Farms, Country Houses and Rustic Villages (Praediorum villarum et rusticarum casularum icones)
Medium
Etching in black on ivory laid paper
Dimensions
Image: 10 × 15.4 cm (3 15/16 × 6 1/8 in.); Plate: 10.2 × 15.6 cm (4 1/16 × 6 3/16 in.); Sheet: 11.6 × 17.1 cm (4 5/8 × 6 3/4 in.)
Classification
etching
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
40682
Art Historical Context
Claes Jansz. Visscher II, a leading Dutch engraver and publisher of the early 17th century, created *Village Road* as plate three in his series *Pictures of Farms, Country Houses and Rustic Villages* (Praediorum villarum et rusticarum casularum icones) in 1612. This intimate etching captures the serene charm of rural Dutch life—a winding path flanked by modest thatched cottages, trees, and distant figures—reflecting the growing fascination with everyday landscapes during the Dutch Golden Age's formative years. Etched in black ink on ivory laid paper, the work measures just 10 × 15.4 cm, showc...
About the Artist
Claes Jansz. Visscher, II · 1587–1652
Claes Janszoon Visscher II (1587–1652) was one of the most prolific and commercially astute figures of the Dutch Golden Age print world — a draughtsman, etcher, mapmaker, and publisher whose Amsterdam workshop became one of the largest of its kind in Europe. Born into a family already engaged in the print trade, Visscher learned etching and engraving directly from his father, Claes Jansz. Visscher...