Woman Whipping her Donkey - Cornelis Visscher

A detailed Dutch Golden Age etching by Cornelis Visscher, depicting a woman on a donkey within a pastoral setting.

This etching by Cornelis Visscher depicts a rural scene, capturing a woman mounted on a donkey as she urges the animal forward with a whip. She is accompanied by a man on foot, with sheep and a dog completing the group. The composition is set against a rocky, uneven terrain, typical of the pastoral subjects popularised by Nicolaes Berchem, whose name appears on the plate as the original designer. Visscher, a skilled printmaker of the Dutch Golden Age, translates the fluid lines of the original drawing into a series of precise, hatched marks that define the textures of the animals, the clothing, and the rugged ground.

The print reflects the interest in everyday life and rural activity that defined much of the Dutch printmaking tradition during the seventeenth century. Visscher demonstrates a mastery of the etching needle, using varying densities of line to create shadow and depth. The figures are rendered with a sense of movement, particularly the donkey, which appears to be resisting the woman's command. The inclusion of the sheep and the dog adds to the narrative quality of the scene, grounding it in the reality of pastoral travel. The inscription at the bottom, 'Ex Formis Nicolai Visscher', indicates that the plate was published by the artist's brother, Nicolaes Visscher, who was a prominent publisher in Amsterdam.

This work provides insight into the collaborative nature of print production in the seventeenth century, where designers and engravers often worked in tandem to produce images for a wider audience. The technical execution shows the clarity and control characteristic of Visscher's output, making it a representative example of Dutch genre etching. The scene remains a direct observation of rural life, presented with the technical rigour expected of a master printmaker of the period.