Artwork
The Hedgerow
The Hedgerow is a print by the Baroque artist Johann Heinrich Roos. It dates from 1665 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
- Accession no.
- 1924.822.5
- Credit line
- Dudley P. Allen Fund
About this work
Overview
Roos utilizes the etching medium to create a range of tonal values, employing fine lines and varied hatching to define the forms of the animals and the foliage.
The Hedgerow is a 1665 etching by the German artist Johann Heinrich Roos, a specialist in pastoral and animal subjects. The work depicts a rural scene populated by figures and livestock within a wooded landscape. Compositionally, a large tree dominates the center, its trunk rendered with dense crosshatching to suggest texture and volume.
To the right of this central anchor, a man wearing a hat leans against the trunk, while a second figure sits on the ground in close proximity. On the left side of the image, a dog rests on the earth near a horse. Roos utilizes the etching medium to create a range of tonal values, employing fine lines and varied hatching to define the forms of the animals and the foliage.
Created during the height of his career, this piece exemplifies Roos's dedication to the Dutch Golden Age tradition of animal painting, translated into the graphic arts. The work reflects his interest in the naturalistic observation of farm animals and their interaction with the landscape, a recurring theme in his oeuvre that established his reputation across Europe.
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