Woman with dark hair and a bow in profile to the left
Medium
Etching; only state
Dimensions
Plate: 3 7/8 × 3 5/8 in. (9.9 × 9.2 cm) Sheet: 5 5/8 x 5 1/4 in. (14.3 x 13.3 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1917
Accession Number
17.3.756-2261
Tags
Art Historical Context
Wenceslaus Hollar's *Woman with Dark Hair and a Bow in Profile to Left* (1642) captures a poised female figure in a classic profile view, her dark tresses adorned with a bow adding elegance to the intimate portrait. This etching, the only state of its kind, showcases Hollar's mastery as a Bohemian-born artist who flourished in 17th-century England. Known for his meticulous reproductions of people, places, and objects, Hollar produced thousands of prints, making art accessible beyond paintings. Created during the turbulent English Civil War era, when Hollar served Antwerp's court before settli...
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...