Landscape with the Figures of Judah and Tamar
by BOL, Hans, Pen, brown ink, lilac wash, 112 x 188 mm
In the 1570-1580s Hans Bol was the most prolific and inventive artist in the Netherlands with significant achievements in all branches of landscape art and in various techniques. He produced several hundred drawings - predominantly preparatory works for engravings.
Hans Bol was the first artist to emulate Pieter Bruegel’s innovations in landscape art. Bruegel’s work exerted an influence on virtually Bol’s entire oeuvre, although at the same time the artist developed his own style, which distinguished his works from those of his master and other Bruegel followers. The combination of landscape and genre-like motifs lends a unique character to Bol’s work.