Woman Suckling a Child - Cornelis Visscher

A detailed Dutch Golden Age etching by Cornelis Visscher, depicting a pastoral scene with a woman and her livestock, based on a design by Nicolaes Berchem.

This etching by Cornelis Visscher, a master of the Dutch Golden Age, captures a quiet pastoral scene. The composition is based on a design by Nicolaes Berchem, as indicated by the inscription 'Berghem delin' in the lower left corner. Visscher, known for his technical precision in printmaking, translates Berchem's painterly vision into a series of delicate lines and cross-hatching that define the textures of the animals, the rocky outcrop, and the fabric of the figures' clothing.

The scene depicts a woman seated near a rustic structure, nursing a child. She is surrounded by a small herd of cattle, a donkey, and several sheep, which occupy the foreground. A man stands behind the cattle, partially obscured, while a smaller figure appears in the background near a wooden fence. The lighting suggests a bright, open day, with the rocky cliff face providing a stark backdrop that creates a sense of depth. The animals are rendered with particular attention to their anatomy and posture, reflecting the popularity of pastoral subjects in seventeenth-century Dutch art.

Visscher's work is characterised by his ability to balance light and shadow through the density of his etched lines. The contrast between the rough, textured stone and the softer forms of the animals demonstrates his command of the medium. This print offers a glimpse into the thematic interests of the period, where the daily lives of rural inhabitants and their livestock were frequently documented with both observation and artistic refinement. The print is part of a series, evidenced by the number '2' in the lower right corner, which suggests it was intended for a larger collection of pastoral studies.