A Resting Herd

Although his life was short, Cornelis Visscher was one of the most important and productive Dutch portrait draftsmen and engravers of the 17th century. Probably trained by Pieter Soutman, he began working independently after 1650 and moved to Amsterdam after 1653. He made countless engravings of biblical, historical, genre, and landscape subjects, both after his own design and after others. He was particularly talented at animal studies and renowned for his drawn and engraved portraits. Pieter van Laer, a Dutch artist active primarily in Rome, specialized in paintings of contemporary Italian popular culture.