Legendes van de gravin met 360 kinderen (1276) en de zeemeermin gevangen in de Purmer (1403), ca. 1600 1608 - 1610

This small, detailed engraving, created by Claes Jansz. Visscher between 1608 and 1610, portrays two fantastical tales. The first, titled “Legendes van de gravin met 360 kinderen (1276)”, depicts a Dutch Countess miraculously giving birth to 360 children. This scene showcases the artist’s skill in portraying the interior of a Dutch home with detailed furniture and figures. The second scene, titled “de zeemeermin gevangen in de Purmer (1403)”, depicts a mermaid captured in the Purmer, a Dutch city, with a man struggling to pull a horse past a wall. This engraving exemplifies the Dutch tradition of "tekeningen" or drawings, which often incorporated humorous folklore and local legends.