Artwork
Autumn: The Wine Market
Autumn: The Wine Market is an ink print by the Baroque artist Wenceslaus Hollar. It dates from 1628 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
The work presents a lively street scene centered on a wine market, capturing the bustle of merchants and buyers during the autumnal trading period.
Created circa 1628, *Autumn: The Wine Market* is an etching by Wenceslaus Hollar, a Czech-born printmaker who established his career in England. The work presents a lively street scene centered on a wine market, capturing the bustle of merchants and buyers during the autumnal trading period. Its composition reflects Hollar’s early London output, before he became widely recognized for his detailed urban and rural prints.
Subject & Meaning
The image portrays a crowded marketplace where barrels of wine are displayed, vendors attend to customers, and figures exchange goods and conversation. A central figure is shown pouring wine from a barrel, emphasizing the commercial activity tied to the season. The scene offers a glimpse into the social and economic rhythms of 17th‑century London, highlighting everyday commerce rather than grand historical narratives.
Technique & Style
Executed with the fine lines characteristic of etching, the print balances intricate detail with a sense of immediacy. Hollar’s use of swift, slightly irregular strokes conveys movement among the crowd, while the careful rendering of objects such as barrels and jugs provides texture. The overall effect is a densely populated tableau that retains clarity despite the complexity of the composition.
History & Provenance
Hollar produced this work during his formative years in London, a period when he was establishing his reputation as a prolific printmaker. Although the original plate’s ownership history is not fully documented, the etching has been included in several catalogues of Hollar’s oeuvre, confirming its attribution and situating it within his broader body of work that documents urban life in the early 17th century.
Artist & collection
Artist
Wenceslaus Hollar (Czech: Václav Hollar (Czech pronunciation: ), German: Wenzel Hollar; 23 July 1607 – 25 March 1677) was a Czech engraver, etcher and painter.
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