Artwork
The Bear Trapped
The Bear Trapped is an ink print by the Baroque artist Allart van Everdingen. It dates from 1650 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Created circa 1650 by Dutch artist Allart van Everdingen, *The Bear Trapped* is an etching that exemplifies the printmaker’s command of the medium. The work presents a solitary bear caught in a wooden framework, rendered with a focus on the animal’s physical strain and the surrounding untamed foliage.
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on a bear ensnared by a branch, its massive body pulling against the bark while its claws dig into the wood. The tangled fur and the litter of leaves and brush below convey a sense of wilderness and the precariousness of the creature’s situation, reflecting Everdingen’s interest in dramatic natural scenes.
Technique & Style
Executed through the traditional etching process, Everdingen incised lines into a copper plate, then used acid to bite the exposed metal. Varying depths of line and cross‑hatching create tonal gradations that model the bear’s weight and the texture of bark, demonstrating the artist’s skill in manipulating light and shadow within a monochrome print.
History & Provenance
The print belongs to Everdingen’s early oeuvre, produced during his most active period as a printmaker. While specific ownership records are limited, the work has appeared in several 19th‑century collections of Dutch Golden Age prints, confirming its recognition among scholars of the period.
Artist & collection
Artist
Allaert van Everdingen (Dutch pronunciation: ; bapt. 18 June 1621 – 8 November 1675 (buried)), was a Dutch Golden Age painter and printmaker in etching and mezzotint.
