Exempel und Lehr Jetziger Welt Lauf
1622
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1622
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Exempel und Lehr Jetziger Welt Lauf is a 1622 ink by Andreas Bretschneider III, a Baroque work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This etching shows a chaotic crowd in a forest, with people climbing a steep hill toward a walled city. The trees are tangled, and the figures look exhausted, some crawling while others struggle upward. The city has tall towers and arched windows, but the path to it is rough and crowded. The artist packed a lot into this small scene—every face and gesture feels urgent, like a warning. This was made in 1622 as a moral lesson, using symbols to show how hard life can be. Next, check out the technique: etching to see how artists like this carved images into metal.
