Country Houses, couple and cornfield in the foreground, from the series The Small Landscapes (Praediorum Villarum)
Original title: Country Houses, couple and cornfield in the foreground, from the series The Small Landscapes (Praediorum Villarum)
kurzbeschreibung
Made between 1559 and 1561, this sheet belongs to the series Die kleinen Landschaften (Praediorum Villarum). It is attributed to the anonymous Master of the Small Landscapes and survives as an etching in the first of three states. A rural view opens before the viewer, with a village set back and a field of grain in the foreground.
Description
At the front two figures ride on a wagon while a third stands beside it. Beyond them stretches a cornfield cut by a river or channel. Several buildings with pitched roofs, enclosed by a wall, rise farther back. Trees, shrubs and clouds in the sky complete the picture. Printed in black and white with fine linear structure and shading, the sheet stays entirely within the terms of graphic art.
Context
The series Die kleinen Landschaften appeared in Antwerp around 1559–61. Its author, the Master of the Small Landscapes, remains nameless but is known for this set. The series counts as an early witness to the real Flemish landscape in printmaking. Prints from it often served as models for paintings and further prints.
Impact
Quiet and idyllic, the etching works through its delicate linework and balanced layout. Lively figures in the foreground and the open landscape behind them invite the eye to linger. The monochrome treatment underlines the graphic quality and the richness of detail.
Technique
An etching, present here in the first of three states. The process allows fine, precise lines and nuanced shading. The sheet measures 17.5 by 25 centimetres and is printed on paper.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)