1608
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Dominant colour
Riverscape with Fishermen by a Fortified Town is a 1608 ink by Aegidius Sadeler II, a Baroque work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This engraving shows a riverbank scene with a fortified town in the background. Trees line the shore, and a small boat with two fishermen sits near the water. On the bank, a few people are gathered—some standing, others bending over a fire or a pile of fish. The tiny details in the town’s walls and the fishermen’s tools show careful craftsmanship. This is an engraving, which means the artist used sharp tools to carve lines into metal, then inked them to create the image. Look up engraving to see how artists like this made prints before photography.
Aegidius Sadeler or Aegidius Sadeler II (1570–1629) was a Flemish engraver who was principally active at the Prague court of Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor and his successors.
See the richer artist page
