Artwork

Begraef-plaets der Joden, buyten Amsteldam (Jewish Cemetery outside Amsterdam)

Begraef-plaets der Joden, buyten Amsteldam (Jewish Cemetery outside Amsterdam) is an ink print by the Baroque artist Abraham Blooteling. It dates from 1670 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

Inscription: Inscribed:Lower left, in plate: I van Ruysdael invent.; lower center, in plate: Begraef-plaets der Joden, buyten Amsteldam.; lower right, in plate: A. Blootelingh fecit et exc. 1670.

About this work

Overview

Executed in black and white on laid paper, the work utilizes the etching medium to render fine details in the foliage and the textures of the stone markers.

Abraham Blooteling's 1670 etching, Begraef-plaets der Joden, buyten Amsteldam, depicts the Jewish cemetery located outside Amsterdam. The composition presents a somber, atmospheric view of the burial ground, characterized by an uneven terrain scattered with tombstones of varying shapes and orientations; some lie flat while others stand upright or appear stacked. In the background, a church steeple rises above a line of trees and bushes, creating a visual juxtaposition between the Jewish burial site and the surrounding Christian landscape.

Executed in black and white on laid paper, the work utilizes the etching medium to render fine details in the foliage and the textures of the stone markers. Created during the Dutch Golden Age, this print documents a specific historical site and reflects Blooteling's skill in capturing topographical and architectural subjects. The artist, known for his versatility as a printmaker and painter, produced this work as part of his broader engagement with Dutch landscapes and local landmarks in the late 17th century.

Subject & Meaning

The work records a specific communal space: a cemetery used by Amsterdam’s Jewish population in the seventeenth century. By foregrounding the modest gravestones and the surrounding natural environment, Blocheling conveys both the humility of the burial site and its integration into the broader urban‑rural fringe, hinting at the coexistence of religious communities within the city’s periphery.

Technique & Style

Created through traditional copper‑plate etching, the print relies on fine incised lines and delicate hatching to render texture and depth. The artist’s control of line weight produces subtle gradations of tone, allowing the uneven ground, foliage, and architectural details of the distant steeple to emerge with clarity despite the limited palette of black on white.

History & Provenance

The etching was produced in 1670, a period when Dutch printmakers frequently documented local topography and social settings. While the original plate’s whereabouts are unknown, surviving impressions have appeared in several nineteenth‑century collections of Dutch prints, indicating the image’s continued relevance as a visual record of Amsterdam’s historic Jewish quarter.