Artwork

A Fisherman and Two Children in a Landscape with Thatched Cottages

A Fisherman and Two Children in a Landscape with Thatched Cottages is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Salomon Gessner. It dates from 1764 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

Inscription: Inscribed:lower left in plate: S.Gessner inv: et fec.; lower center in plate: 2.; by later hand, lower right in ink: A.

About this work

Overview

A Fisherman and Two Children in a Landscape with Thatched Cottages is an etching on laid paper created by Salomon Gessner in 1764.

Subject & Meaning

The print depicts a serene forest scene with a fisherman and two children near a stream, set against a backdrop of a thatched-roof hut and dense foliage. The natural environment dominates the composition, conveying a sense of tranquility and the relative insignificance of human presence.

Technique & Style

Gessner achieved a high level of detail through fine lines, capturing the textures of various natural elements such as leaves, bark, and water. The use of deep black lines on light paper creates a striking contrast, emphasizing the etching's graphic quality.