Monogrammist HD

The present composition by an anonymous master references Pieter Brueghel the Elder’s Hare Hunt in the figure of the hunter with crossbow and dog in reverse (New Hollstein 1). While The Hare Hunt remains the only sheet etched entirely by Brueghel himself, reproductive prints after his designs are exceedingly numerous. The author of this eminently rare sheet, however, transposes the pictorial motif into an entirely different landscape. The hunter is positioned on the bank of a river, over which a small bridge leads to a village with a watermill on the right. A miller or porter in Brueghelian manner, together with a few sheep, is depicted crossing the bridge, while a washerwoman appears on the riverbank beside the mill.

In Hollstein, the sheet is attributed to the little-known Hermann Duning (also Doening), as cited by Nagler; however, the authors of The New Hollstein (Brueghel) record it only by its monogram. The author is likely to have been an anonymous artist from the immediate circle of Jacob Saverij. Despite its very small format, the composition achieves a remarkable sense of atmosphere and spatial depth, and its meticulous treatment of foliage, vegetation, and architectural and landscape details recalls comparable works by Saverij. A very fine, clear and nuanced impression with wide margins around the distinct platemark. Minor ageing, otherwise in excellent, pristine condition. Hollstein records two impressions in Amsterdam, Rijksprentenkabinet und London, British Museum.

EUR 9,500