Cornelis Visscher’s engraving (with etching), “Young Shepherd and Shepherdess Near a Tree”, c1648, after Pieter van Laer

Cornelis Visscher II (aka Cornelis Vischer) (1628/9–1658)

“Young Shepherd and Shepherdess Near a Tree” (aka “Jonge herder en herderin bij een boom”), c1648 (1638–1658 [Rijksmuseum attrib.), after Pieter van Laer (aka Pieter Bodding van Laer; Pieter Boddingh; Bamboccio; Pieter Jacobsz van Laer Bamboccio) (1592/9–c1642) and a companion piece to Cornelis Visscher’s “The Robbery of Horses” also after Van Laer (see http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.191149).

Engraving and etching on laid paper trimmed around the platemark and backed with a support sheet.

Size: (sheet) 36.8 x 29.5 cm.

Inscribed on plate below the image borderline: (left) “P. D. Laer pinx.”; (centre) "Corn. Visscher fecit.”

Hollstein Dutch 55 (Christiaan Schuckman 1992, Dutch and Flemish Engravings, Etchings and Woodcuts, ca. 1450–1700: Cornelis de Visscher, Cornelis Visscher, Hendrick Jansz Visscher, Lambert Visscher”, vol. 40, Roosendaal, Koninklijke Van Poll, pp. 68–70, cat. no.55).

The British Museum offers the following description of this print:

“A resting herd; A young shepherd, peasant girl and resting animals; the boy stands by a tree and points towards two cows; after Pieter van Laer” (https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1839-0413-201).

See also the description of this print offered by the Rijksmuseum: http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.191148.

Condition: a strong and well-printed impression, trimmed along the platemark and laid onto a support sheet of archival (millennium quality) washi paper. The sheet is in an excellent condition with no tears, holes, folds, abrasions, significant stains or foxing.

I am selling this large pastoral engraving (with etching) from the 17^th century possibly promulgating the idea fostered by the gentry that shepherds are idle folk (see John Barrell’s [1980] “The Dark Side of the Landscape”), for the total cost of AU$267 (currently US$203.27/EUR172.72/GBP146.99 at the time of this listing) including postage and handling to anywhere in the world (but not, of course, any import duties/taxes imposed by some countries).

If you are interested in purchasing this romantic image of rural bliss—note how the standing cow’s eye-contact with us (the viewers) subliminally acknowledges that we too are quiet participants in this scene—please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.

This print has been sold