Lapsnijder en zijn vrouw 1641

Crispijn van de Passe (II)'s 1641 etching *Lapsnijder en zijn vrouw*, depicts a couple, the man on the left, and the woman on the right. The image is a double portrait, a style common in 17th-century Dutch art. Both figures are portrayed in profile, with the man depicted holding his hat and seeming to be looking down sadly, and the woman's face showing a stern expression. The inscription below the etching offers moralizing commentary on the nature of a marriage, a common theme in Dutch art of the period. This etching is part of a larger series of portraits created by van de Passe, and is a fine example of his skill in rendering detail and capturing the character of his subjects.