Alpine Landscape with a Deep Valley, from "The Large Landscapes" (ca. 1555–56, Met-Objekt 1964)
Original title: Alpine Landscape with a Deep Valley, from "The Large Landscapes"
kurzbeschreibung
Johannes van Doetecum I made this etching around 1555–56 as part of his series 'The Large Landscapes'. A wide mountain view opens onto a deep valley with a river and hills rising beyond it. The print combines etching and engraving.
Description
The layout stretches sideways: a deep valley with rock faces and a river lies in front, while wooded hills and mountains with scattered buildings step back behind it. A flock of birds in restless formation takes over the sky. Everything stays monochrome in greys built from fine lines and hatching. Light falls evenly, with shadows and highlights held in balance.
Context
Made in the Netherlands in the mid-sixteenth century, 'The Large Landscapes' belongs to a group of landscape prints that established alpine nature as a subject in its own right. Van Doetecum, a Dutch engraver, often worked with his brother Lucas, though this sheet is attributed to him alone. The series shaped Renaissance landscape art and was much sought after by collectors.
Impact
A calm, almost lofty mood comes off the sheet, carried by the depth of the valley and the even light. Precise linework and careful hatching give it a rich texture that invites close looking across the landscape.
Technique
Etching and engraving are used together here, in the second of two states. Lines and hatching were bitten into a copper plate and then reworked with a burin to sharpen detail and deepen the sense of space. At 34.5 by 44.7 cm the sheet is unusually large for its time, underlining the series' representational ambition.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)