Artwork
Nobilis Mulier Bohemica
Nobilis Mulier Bohemica is an ink print by the Baroque artist Wenceslaus Hollar. It dates from 1649 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1649, *Nobilis Mulier Bohemica* is an etching by the Czech-born printmaker Wenceslaus Hollar, who spent much of his professional life in England. The work presents a single figure—a woman dressed in period costume—rendered in the fine linear detail characteristic of mid‑seventeenth‑century printmaking.
Subject & Meaning
The image portrays a dignified woman wearing a tall fur hat, a heavy fur coat, and a ruffled collar, her expression solemn and her hands concealed within her sleeves. The inscription “Nobilis Mulier Bohemica” identifies her as a noblewoman from Bohemia, suggesting an intention to commemorate or idealise a specific social rank within the artist’s native region.
Technique & Style
Executed as an etching, the composition relies on delicate incised lines to model the textures of fur, fabric and facial features. Hollar’s control of line weight and cross‑hatching creates a nuanced sense of depth and material quality, reflecting the technical proficiency that earned him a reputation for precise architectural and portrait prints.
History & Provenance
Hollar produced this work during a prolific period when he was establishing his reputation in England, yet the subject ties the piece back to his Bohemian origins. The print bears his signature in the lower corner, and its survival in museum collections attests to its continued relevance as an example of Hollar’s portraiture within his broader oeuvre.
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.
