Artwork
XXXX: Forty Years
XXXX: Forty Years is an ink print by the Renaissance artist Crispijn van de Passe I. It dates from 1599 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
XXXX: Forty Years is a circa 1599 engraving on laid paper by Crispijn van de Passe I, currently in the collection of the National Gallery of Art, Washington.
Subject & Meaning
The engraving depicts a bustling interior scene with symbolic figures and objects: a writing woman accompanied by a child with a book, and a man with a scroll and globe, gesturing upwards. Latin text surrounds the image, hinting at themes of time or memory. The combination of writing instruments, a globe, and scholarly attire suggests an emphasis on knowledge, history, or the passage of time.
Technique & Style
As an engraving, XXXX: Forty Years showcases the detailed, precise technique characteristic of the medium. Intricate lines and textures, achievable through engraving, capture the complexity of the scene, from the high ceiling and ladder to the distant cityscape with ships.
History & Provenance
Created around 1599 by Crispijn van de Passe I, a prominent figure in the van de Passe family of engravers, the work is now part of the National Gallery of Art's collection in Washington.
Context
The late 16th-century context of XXXX: Forty Years places it within a period of heightened interest in classical knowledge, global exploration (symbolized by the globe), and the emergence of print culture, which engraving facilitated.
Artist & collection
Artist
Crispijn van de Passe I (1564–1637) was an artist, born in Arnemuiden.
