Kustweg langs een ronde ruïne 1618

"Kustweg langs een ronde ruïne" (Coastal Road Past a Round Ruin) is a 1618 etching by Dutch artist Claes Jansz. Visscher (1586-1652). The print, now housed in the Rijksmuseum, depicts a path winding past a ruined structure overlooking the sea. The work is a prime example of Visscher's mastery of landscape etching, capturing the atmospheric beauty of the coastal environment with precise detail and a sense of melancholy. The scene is dominated by a crumbling stone tower, its walls breached, creating a sense of faded grandeur. Visscher's masterful use of line and shading evokes the texture of the crumbling stones, the softness of the sand, and the delicate foliage.