Drie paarden een geit - François Vivares

A detailed etching by François Vivares after Nicolaes Berchem, depicting a pastoral scene with horses and a goat in a rural setting.

This etching by François Vivares depicts a pastoral scene featuring three horses and a goat, accompanied by a lone figure in the background. The composition draws upon the animalier tradition, which gained popularity in the eighteenth century. Vivares, a French engraver who spent his career in London, was known for his technical precision in reproducing the works of other masters, including Nicolaes Berchem, whose name appears on the plate as the original draughtsman. The print demonstrates the characteristic line work of the period, utilising varied hatching to define the musculature of the horses and the texture of the grassy terrain. The scene is structured with a foreground group of animals, while the standing figure provides a sense of scale and narrative context. The use of light and shadow is achieved through the density of the etched lines, creating a sense of volume without the need for tonal washes. Vivares was instrumental in the development of the print trade in Britain, often working as both an engraver and a publisher. His ability to translate the fluid style of Dutch and Italian painters into the medium of etching allowed for the wider dissemination of pastoral imagery. This work reflects the period's interest in rural life and the study of animals, presented with a focus on anatomical accuracy and balanced composition. The inclusion of the goat adds a specific detail to the group, a common motif in the works of Berchem and his contemporaries. This print is a representative example of the collaborative nature of eighteenth-century printmaking, where the skills of the draughtsman and the engraver combined to produce accessible art for the growing collector market.