Landscape with a Moated Village

The so-called small landscapes published in Antwerp in the late 1550s constitute a turning point in the history of landscape as a genre. This drawing and its related print (1964.404) from the series present the local countryside in a simple, unembellished composition from a level point of view. The artist portrayed the rustic village, pasture, and country road in a straightforward and immediate fashion. The title page for the series, issued by publisher Hieronymus Cock in Antwerp, advertised that the views were made “from the life” (naer d’leven), thus are real places directly observed. Such humble sites would define the golden age of Dutch landscape in the following century.

A horizontally oriented pen and brown ink drawing on mottled tan paper depicts a village landscape. In the foreground, fine lines define reeds and birds on the water. A square stone tower and a narrow church spire rise in the center left. To the right, hatching creates thatched buildings and leafy trees. A tiny figure stands atop a small arched bridge, while a signature is inscribed in the lower left corner.

Landscape with a Moated Village

1559–61

Master of the Small Landscapes

(Flemish)

Flanders

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