View of the Tiber in the Campagna

Executed in etching, the image relies on incised lines on a metal plate to render texture and depth. Both used delicate, controlled strokes to suggest the foliage of tall trees, the folds of clothing, and the soft contours of clouds. The river’s curve and the recession of the background are achieved through varying line density and tone, not wash or color. The medium’s precision allowed for intricate detail while preserving a sense of atmospheric light, characteristic of Dutch Italianate printmaking.

Both produced this print during his time in Rome, likely in the 1630s or early 1640s, after returning from Italy. His works circulated among collectors in the Netherlands and beyond, valued for their faithful rendering of Italian scenery. While the specific early ownership of this impression is undocumented, similar etchings by Both appear in major European collections, indicating its place within the broader market for topographical prints of the period.

In the mid-17th century, Dutch artists increasingly turned to Italy as a subject, drawn by its classical ruins and luminous landscapes. Both was part of a generation that adapted Italian motifs to Northern aesthetic values—detail-oriented, restrained, and grounded in direct observation. This etching aligns with contemporaneous works by artists like Cornelis van Poelenburch and Herman van Swanevelt, who similarly fused Italian scenery with Dutch technical discipline.

Both’s etchings contributed to the enduring European fascination with the Italian landscape as a subject for printmaking. His careful rendering of light and space influenced later topographical artists, though his name faded from public memory after the 17th century. Today, his works are studied for their role in bridging Northern and Southern European visual traditions, offering insight into how travelers interpreted and transmitted the Italian environment through print.