Artwork
Animalia (series)
Animalia (series) is a print by the Baroque artist Nicolaes Pieterszoon Berchem. It dates from 1659 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. The Animalia series is a collection of works by Nicolaes Berchem, a prominent Dutch painter active during the Golden Age.
About this work
Overview
The Animalia series is a collection of works by Nicolaes Berchem, a prominent Dutch painter active during the Golden Age.
Subject & Meaning
One print from the series shows a man seated on a ledge with a dog, set against a serene landscape with trees and a distant figure. The tranquil atmosphere suggests a contemplative mood.
Technique & Style
Berchem's use of shading and texture creates depth, highlighting details such as the man's clothing and the dog's fur. The work blends Italianate romanticism with Dutch genre traditions, reflecting the artist's experience in Italy and his exposure to classical ruins and pastoral imagery.
History & Provenance
The Animalia series was created in 1659, a period when Berchem was a member of the second generation of Dutch Italianate landscape painters.
Context
Berchem's work is characterized by pastoral landscapes often populated with mythological or biblical figures, reflecting his Italian influences and Dutch genre roots.
Artist & collection
Artist
Nicolaes Pieterszoon Berchem (1 October 1620 – 18 February 1683) was a highly esteemed and prolific Dutch Golden Age painter of pastoral landscapes, populated with mythological or biblical figures, but also of a number of allegories and…
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