Water
1617
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1617
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Water is a 1617 ink by Jan van de Velde, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This black-and-white scene shows a busy harbor with people unloading fish and goods. A tower looms in the background, and boats sit near the shore. Some folks carry baskets, while others chat or tend to small children and a dog. The water looks choppy, and a few ships are anchored farther out. The artist used a technique that lets ink sit in carved lines, creating sharp details. This is how the whole scene pops off the page. Try looking up etching to see how it works.
Jan van de Velde the younger (1593 – c. 1 November 1641) was a Dutch Golden Age painter and printmaker, mostly of animal, landscape and still-life subjects. He was the son of Jan van de Velde the Elder and the father of…
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