Rocky Landscape with a Gorge, First Version c. 1625 - 1630

Hercules Segers made this print, "Rocky Landscape with a Gorge, First Version," sometime in the early 17th century using etching and aquatint. Segers lived and worked during the Dutch Golden Age, a period of immense economic prosperity and artistic innovation in the Netherlands, and yet, he died in poverty. Segers was deeply interested in the textures and surfaces of the natural world, and he approached printmaking with an experimental zeal. Look closely. Notice how the rugged terrain is rendered with a tactile quality; the lines and tones mimic the rough, uneven surfaces of rocks and earth. Segers was known for his unconventional techniques, often using colored inks and fabrics to create unique impressions. The emotional depth of this landscape speaks to the experience of nature as both sublime and isolating. Segers seems to suggest a world where the individual is dwarfed by the immensity and indifference of the natural world.