Artwork
A Pond
A Pond is an ink print by the Baroque artist Claes Jansz Visscher. It dates from 1612 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1612, *A Pond* is an etching by Claes Janszoon Visscher, a Dutch draughtsman and mapmaker active during the Golden Age. The monochrome print portrays a tranquil waterside scene, rendered with precise line work that captures both natural and built elements.
Subject & Meaning
The composition shows a small village set beside a still pond, with modest houses, twisted bare trees, and grazing livestock. Two figures walk along the shore, suggesting everyday activity within a peaceful rural landscape.
Technique & Style
Visscher employed the etching process, using acid to incise fine lines into a metal plate. This allowed him to render delicate details such as water ripples, foliage texture, and architectural outlines, characteristic of his meticulous graphic style.
History & Provenance
Vissburg’s etching was produced during his early career, before his family’s mapmaking enterprise in Amsterdam expanded across generations. The work reflects the period’s interest in detailed topographical and landscape imagery, aligning with his broader output as a cartographic publisher.
Context
In the early seventeenth century, Dutch artists increasingly focused on realistic depictions of the countryside and everyday life. Visscher’s *A Pond* fits within this trend, offering a visual record of rural Dutch scenery that complements his cartographic interests.
Artist & collection
Artist
Claes Janszoon Visscher (1587 – 19 June 1652) was a Dutch Golden Age draughtsman, engraver, mapmaker, and publisher.
