Views of Villages in Brabant and Campine: A Moated Village

c. 1561

after Master of the Small Landscapes

(Flemish)

Culture

Flanders

Medium

etching and engraving

Measurements

Image: 12.8 x 20.4 cm (5 1/16 x 8 1/16 in.); Sheet: 12.8 x 20.4 cm (5 1/16 x 8 1/16 in.); Mounted: 17.8 x 21.9 cm (7 x 8 5/8 in.)

Credit Line

Mr. and Mrs. Charles G. Prasse Collection 1964.404

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Location

Not on view

Did You Know?

Though this and other towns in the same series share familiar features with some Netherlandish villages, none of the exact locales can be identified.

Description

Part of a second, larger series of 30 prints, this work illustrates a village scene around Brussels. The preliminary drawing is shown beside the print, which is reversed--a consequence of the printmaking process. While the engraver closely followed the composition of the drawing, the images are not exactly alike. The printmaker changed a number of details, such as removing the figure on the arched bridge and adding stairs leading to the water on the left. The most significant change, however, is the way the image was cropped--the sides cut off and the foreground enlarged--resulting in a change of perspective. In addition, the spontaneous quality of the drawing is virtually lost in the print. Compare the surface of the water and the reflections of the plants and buildings in these two works.