Complete set of 6 etchings on laid paper
Anthonie Waterloo and Johannes Ruischer
(i) (iv) and (vi) signed in plate upper right ‘Antoni Waterlo f.’
(ii) (iii) and (v) signed with artist’s initials in plate upper right ‘AW. ex.’
(ii) and (v) signed in pencil lower right ‘Ruischer’
Each in the second state (of 2)
Bartsch 89-94
Only three other complete sets have been found at auction in the past 25 years
Wide margins
Plate dimensions, each: 4 ¾ x 8 in. (12.1 x 20.3 cm.)
Overall dimensions, each: 20 x 16 in. (50.8 x 40.6 cm.)

This complete set of six etchings by Anthonie Waterloo and Johannes Ruischer features an interesting mix of detailed aerial illustrations of Dutch towns and more painterly renderings of landscapes punctuated with large trees. These beautifully detailed etchings rarely come up at auction, with only three complete sets sold in the last twenty-five years.

The works, all in the second state of two, are etchings on laid paper each with plate dimensions of 4 ¾ x 8 in. and overall dimensions of 20 x 16 in. (i) (iv) and (vi) are signed in the plate upper right ‘Antoni Waterlo f.’(ii) (iii) and (v) are signed with the artist’s initials in the plate upper right ‘AW. ex.’ Lastly, (ii) and (v) are signed in pencil in the lower right ‘Ruischer’.

Anthonie Waterloo (Dutch, 1609-1690)

Anthonie Waterloo was born near Lille, Netherlands as the son of a Flemish artisan. Seventeenth century documents list him as a painter although his extant work are primarily drawings and etchings of detailed Baroque landscapes and vistas. His training was most likely autodidactic, but his auxiliary role as an art dealer exposed him to influential landscape artists like Jacob van Ruisdael. Working mainly in Utrecht, Amsterdam, and Leeuwarden, the scenes depicted in Waterloo’s work suggest widespread and peripatetic travel to surrounding countries, especially along the Rhine River in Germany. Collected widely, his works can be seen at the Courtauld Institute of Art, J. Paul Getty Museum, and National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.

Johannes Ruischer (Dutch, c. 1625- fl. 1675)

Dutch painter, etcher, and draughtsman Johannes Ruischer was born in Franeker, Netherlands. Specializing in landscapes, his drawings have been noted to suggest influence from Rembrandt van Rijn. Also known as “Jonge Hercules,” Ruischer most likely knew of Rembrandt’s mentor, Hercules Seghers, as well in the comparative pictorial and technical similarities in both artists’ etchings. Ruischer’s first works date from circa 1649, and he was appointed court painter in Cleves in 1652. He also gained the patronage of the Elector of Brandenburg until 1661 and the Elector of Saxony until 1675. Ruischer’s works are held in collections of institutions like the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Harvard Art Museum, and Fitzwilliam Museum.