Title Page for 'Verscheyden Stranden en water gesichten' - Gillis van Scheyndel (I)

A seventeenth-century Dutch etching serving as the title page for a series of maritime and coastal views by Gillis van Scheyndel (I).

This etching serves as the title page for a series of prints titled 'Verscheyden Stranden en water gesichten' (Various Beach and Water Views). The composition features two figures, a man and a woman, standing on either side of a central cloth banner that displays the title of the collection. The man, dressed in rugged attire, holds a fish, while the woman balances a basket of fish upon her head. Their presence frames the text, which acts as a formal introduction to the maritime subjects contained within the series.

Gillis van Scheyndel (I) was a Dutch printmaker active during the early seventeenth century. His work often focused on the daily lives of common people, including fishermen and rural inhabitants. The etching technique employed here demonstrates a clear command of line, using hatching and cross-hatching to define the textures of the clothing, the fish, and the surrounding environment. The figures are rendered with a sense of character, reflecting the interest in genre subjects that defined much of the Dutch art of this period.

The inclusion of the publisher's mark, M. Pool, indicates the commercial nature of these print series, which were produced for a growing market of collectors and enthusiasts of topographical and genre prints. The background provides a subtle suggestion of a coastal setting, with small vessels visible on the horizon, grounding the figures in their professional context. This print is a representative example of the graphic arts produced in the Netherlands during the seventeenth century, where the combination of text and image was a standard format for disseminating series of engravings and etchings to a wider audience. The work remains a valuable record of the stylistic conventions and subject matter popular among the Dutch public during this era.