Landscape with an Angler

Art Historical Context

"Landscape with an Angler created in 1650, is a delicate etching attributed to Wenceslaus Hol after Jan Brueghel the Elder. Hollar, a masterful Bohemian printmaker known for his intricate reproductive works, captures the Flemish master's lush landscape style in this third state of three—a refined version where the artist likely burnished or reworked the plate for greater subtlety (NH). Measuring just 4 5/8 × 6 13/16 inches, this intimate print from the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department invites close viewing, revealing Hollar's virtuoso linework etched into a copper plate with acid. Etching was a revolutionary medium in the 17th century, allowing artists like Hollar—exiled from Bohemia and working in England—to disseminate detailed images affordably across Europe. Here, a serene riverside scene unfolds with an angler at work, rustic houses dotting the horizon, and verdant landscapes evoking the Golden Age of Dutch and Flemish art. Brueghel's influence shines through in the meticulous foliage and atmospheric depth, blending pastoral tranquility with everyday leisure like fishing—a nod to the era's growing appreciation for nature's quiet poetry. Acquired through the Harris Brisbane Dick Fund in 1917, this print exemplifies how etchings preserved and popularized Brueghel's legacy long after his 1625 death. Visitors will delight in its tiny scale, which belies a world of fine detail, perfect for contemplating 17th-century harmony between man and countryside.

About the Artist

Wenceslaus Hollar|Jan Brueghel the Elder · 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...