Twee mannen bij een steen in het water

About this artwork

verzamelaarsmerk, verso linksonder, gestempeld: Lugt 240

Art Historical Context

Created in 1658 by Dutch artist Karel du Jardin, this modest etching captures a quiet moment of two men beside a stone in shallow water. Du Jardin, active during the Dutch Golden Age, specialized in Italianate landscapes and genre scenes that blended observed nature with a sense of timeless calm. The small scale—only 121 by 157 millimeters—suggests the work was intended as a collectible print rather than a large wall piece. Etching allowed artists like du Jardin to achieve remarkably fine lines and tonal subtlety, making the medium ideal for rendering rippling water and rocky textures with gr...

About the Artist

Karel du Jardin · 1626–1678

Karel Dujardin, born in Amsterdam on September 27, 1626, was the son of the little-known painter Guilliam du Gardin. His early training came under the guidance of Nicolaes Berchem, a master whose influence is evident in Dujardin's animal and landscape depictions, while he was also inspired by the works of Paulus Potter. As a young artist, Dujardin traveled to Italy, where he immersed himself in th...