
Read the visual description
The image shows a dynamic scene with figures and horses from a straight-on perspective. The horizon line is in the middle of the composition, providing depth between the individuals and horses in the foreground and the figures in the background. The artwork is a detailed etching with fine lines defining forms and textures like the horses and clothing. It is in a monochromatic palette of black and white, using contrasts and shadows for vividness and depth. In the foreground, a man is tugging a horse's bridle while another man on horseback raises a whip. More figures on horseback can be seen in the distance against a cloudy sky.
National Gallery of Art · Print
A Boy Taking a Horse to Drink
Dirck Stoop
- Date
- 1651
- Medium
- etching on laid paper
- Dimensions
- plate: 15 × 19.4 cm (5 7/8 × 7 5/8 in.) sheet: 15.2 × 20.1 cm (6 × 7 15/16 in.)
- Classification
- Accession number
- 2014.56.2
- Credit line
- Ailsa Mellon Bruce Fund
- Time span
- 1651 to 1700
- Department
- CG-E
Portfolio and series
- Series
- The Set of Horses
Subjects and terms
- etching
- animal
Provenance
(James A. Bergquist, Newton, MA); purchased 2014 by NGA.
Inscription
lower left in plate: D Stoop; by later hand, lower right verso in graphite: 2 II (of 3)
NGA object ID 164718. Collection metadata is reproduced under CC0. This work is included because its NGA published-image record is marked open access; visitors should recheck the source record before substantial reuse.