Woodland scene with marshy banks, two men and a dog in profile at left, two-long-necked birds at right, from the series 'Six landscapes in Tyrol' after Roelandt Savery 1600

This print, "Woodland scene with marshy banks", was made after Roelandt Savery, probably in the early 17th century. It presents an idealized vision of the Tyrolean landscape through a Northern lens. Looking closer, we can ask: what exactly makes this image so appealing? Savery spent time in the court of Rudolf II in Prague, and later in Haarlem, and was exposed to the humanistic appreciation of naturalism, which was then developing in the Netherlands. Here, landscape becomes more than just a backdrop. It is the main subject, where nature itself appears abundant and harmonious, even if somewhat tamed by the tiny figures within it. In its own time, this series after Savery was part of a burgeoning market for landscape prints, as new audiences developed an appetite for idealized and picturesque views. Studying the print market and the role of the court in artistic production allows us to better understand the social conditions that gave rise to this image. Historians use inventories, letters, and other archival documents to piece together a more complete picture of the past.