Boat at a River Bank with Three Goats c. 1645 - 1656

This print of a waterside scene was made by Allart van Everdingen, a Dutch artist working in the 17th century. It was created using etching, a printmaking process where lines are incised into a metal plate with acid, which then holds ink for printing. Notice how the etched lines create a sense of texture, from the rough-hewn logs of the buildings to the craggy rocks by the river. This attention to materiality gives the image a sense of realism, despite its picturesque subject matter. The landscape and buildings speak of labor, of the work of hewing and stacking timber. The figures in the scene seem at rest, but their presence reminds us of the human effort involved in shaping the environment. Everdingen likely never visited Scandinavia, but he was known for the subject of his Nordic landscapes. These kinds of images were luxury products, in a sense, as they brought distant lands into the homes of Dutch collectors. So, while the print might seem simple, it’s tied to broader patterns of trade, travel, and consumption.