[Cow] Animalia, ad vivum delineata, et aqua forti aeri impressa by BERCHEM, Nicolaes

Etching. Image measures 4" x 5 1/4".<br/><br/> This etching of a cow is from an edition of Nicolaes Berchem's "Animalia," sometimes known as "A Man's Sketchbook." Like other artists of the Dutch Golden Age, during which realistic landscape painting flourished, Berchem made these series of etchings to hone his skills in rendering animals. This image, printed in the mid-17th century, shows a cow in full profile, standing in a somewhat barren landscape. It is in good condition with no chips or tears. Nicolaes Berchem (1620--1683) was a painter of the Dutch Golden Age known for his pastoral landscapes. After studying with Cornelis van Poelenburgh and Jan van Goyen, well-known Dutch landscape painters, Berchem adopted a classicizing style which he applied to the Italian countryside, producing evocative, sun-bathed scenes which found great popularity in Holland. In addition to producing hundreds of his own paintings, the artist also often painted human and animal figures into the works of other Dutch artists. This etching demonstrates the skill and talent of this Golden Age painter.<br/><br/>