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Original fileMan en vier geiten bij een waterval
About This Work
A seated man rests in a wild woodland setting beside a small herd of goats near a waterfall. A massive, broken tree trunk leans across the frame, highlighting the raw state of nature and the process of decay. In the background, a distant figure walks through the woods toward a building glimpsed through the foliage.
Created within the court circle of Emperor Rudolf II in Prague, this work reflects the era's fascination with the 'theatrum naturae' (theater of nature). The gnarled, untamed landscape served as a subject for natural philosophy, where the observation of nature's 'wonders' and cycles of decay was linked to a deeper understanding of the divine order.
Inscriptions(Latin)
Cum Privil: Sac: Cæs May.tis Roelant Sauery Inuentor Egidius Sadeler ex:
Translation
With the Privilege of His Sacred Imperial Majesty Roelant Savery Inventor Egidius Sadeler publisher
Connected Texts
Rudolf II
As the imperial patron of Sadeler and Savery, Rudolf II commissioned these 'wild' landscapes as part of his interest in the secrets and variety of the natural world.
Roelant Savery
The 'inventor' or designer of the image, Savery was sent to the Alps by Rudolf II to record the wonders of nature, influencing the gnarled style of this print.
Provenance & Source
Object
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
paper
height 222 mm x width 286 mm
landscape
Linked Data
AI AI-cataloged fields generated by gemini-3-flash-preview on April 2, 2026. Getty identifiers are AI-inferred and may require verification.