Wooded Landscape
Original title: Wooded landscape
kurzbeschreibung
A dense forest with one striking tree in the foreground fills this copper engraving by Raphael Sadeler II. The sheet carries no date but most likely belongs to the late sixteenth or early seventeenth century, placing it among the refined landscape prints of the Flemish school.
Description
At the front stands a massive tree with a twisted trunk and a crown that spreads far and wide, its foliage worked in several shades of engraved line. Trees and shrubs recede behind it in layered ranks, opening up the depth of the scene. A stream winds through the view, edged with grasses and low plants. Light falls from above and sharpens the shadows and surfaces of the vegetation. The sideways vantage point and horizontal layout heighten the sense of open space.
Context
Raphael Sadeler II (1584–1632) came from a respected family of Flemish engravers and worked in Antwerp, later in Munich. His output consisted mainly of landscapes and reproductions after other artists. In his day landscape was gaining standing as a genre in its own right within printmaking. This sheet shows the influence of the Netherlandish landscape tradition, which often rendered nature without any human staffage.
Impact
The eye is drawn first to the great tree, whose branches spread like a net across the ground of the image. Delicate lines and the play of light against dark create a quiet, almost reverent mood. Look closer and the varied structures of the crowns and the density of the wood come into view. Figures are entirely absent, so nature and its forms hold the center.
Technique
The lines of this engraving were cut into a metal plate, which was then treated with acid. The fine stroke and restrained shading match the technique of the seventeenth century. Sadeler varied the strength and direction of his lines to capture the texture of leaves, bark and grass.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)