View Near Albury
Medium
Etching, first state of three
Dimensions
Sheet: 3 1/2 × 6 3/16 in. (8.9 × 15.7 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1920
Accession Number
20.81.2.7
Tags
Art Historical Context
Wenceslaus Hollar's *View Near Albury*1645) is a delicate etching capturing the tranquil English countryside near Albury in Surrey. This first-state impression, measuring just 3½ × 6¼ inches, depicts a serene riverside scene alive with swans gliding on the water, leafy trees framing the horizon, boats dotting the river, and small human figures engaged in everyday activities. Created during Hollar's time in England amid the turmoil of the Civil War, it offers a peaceful respite, showcasing his masterful eye for topography and natural detail. As a Bohemian-born artist who fled religious strife ...
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...