Artwork
Large Farm with Draw Well
Large Farm with Draw Well is an ink print by the Baroque artist Johannes van Doetechum the Elder. It is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Large Farm with Draw Well is an etching retouched with engraving, created in 1676 by Johannes van Doetecum the Elder, a Dutch printmaker. The work presents a detailed rural farmstead scene.
Subject & Meaning
The print centers on a draw well within a large farm, surrounded by a substantial house, smaller outbuildings, trees, and birds in the sky. The composition emphasizes everyday rural life.
Technique & Style
Characteristic of van Doetecum's practice, the piece features fine detail achieved through etching, with additional refinements from engraving. The monochrome print showcases intricate textures and patterns, including wood grain and foliage.
History & Provenance
Johannes van Doetecum the Elder, active in the late 16th century, was known for reproducing Pieter Bruegel the Elder's genre scenes and mapping Dutch cities. Despite the 1676 date, his activity period suggests a potential discrepancy in the work's creation year.
Context
The work aligns with the Baroque movement's emphasis on detailed, everyday life depictions. Van Doetecum's style and technique place him within the broader context of 16th-century Dutch printmaking.
Artist & collection
Artist
Johannes van Doetechum the Elder
Joannes van Doetecum the Elder (1530 – 1605) was a Dutch engraver-cartographer known for his etched works after genre scenes by Pieter Bruegel the Elder and maps of various cities in the Netherlands.
