Artwork
Mercatoris Norimbergensis Vxor
Mercatoris Norimbergensis Vxor is an ink print by the Baroque artist Wenceslaus Hollar. It dates from 1643 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1643, *Mercatoris Norimbergensis Vxor* is an etching by the Czech-born printmaker Wenceslaus Hollar, who spent much of his career working in England. The work presents a solitary female figure dressed in a long skirt, dark jacket with a fur‑trimmed collar, and a wide‑brimmed hat, rendered in the fine linear detail for which Hollar is renowned.
Subject & Meaning
The portrait shows a woman from Nuremberg, identified only by the Latin title that translates to “the wife of a Nuremberg merchant.” Her attire and hairstyle reflect early‑17th‑century German fashion, yet the image offers no further narrative clues, leaving her personal identity and circumstances open to interpretation.
Technique & Style
Hollar employed traditional copper‑plate etching, incising delicate lines that build subtle gradations of tone. The rendering relies on fine hatching and cross‑hatching to suggest texture in the fur collar, fabric folds, and the soft shading of the background, achieving a modest sense of depth despite the medium’s inherent flatness.
History & Provenance
Hollar produced the print during a prolific period when he was active in London, after having worked in Prague and other European centers. The work was likely issued as part of a series of topographical and portrait prints that circulated among collectors and patrons interested in continental subjects.
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.
