Justus van den Nypoort, Etching "Knife Grinder" Edition by Franz Prechler

JUSTUS VAN DEN NYPOORT (COMPOSITION) / FRANZ PRECHLER (EDITION) KNIFE GRINDER JUSTUS VAN DEN NYPOORT (NIJPOORT) Utrecht, between 1645/1649 – after 1698 Moravia ANTON FRANZ PRECHLER (BRECHLER) Austria ca. 1666 – 1732 Prague Etching on laid paper, signed "Franz Prechler exc. Praga" 12.5 × 19 cm / 4.9 × 7.5 inches with passepartout: 20 × 30 cm / 7.9 × 11.8 inches A DUTCH GENRE SCENE IN BOHEMIA This fine etching, printed in Prague in the early 18th century, offers a rare glimpse into the spread of Dutch artistic models in Central Europe. The composition originates with Justus van den Nypoort, a painter, draftsman, and engraver born in Utrecht between 1645 and 1649, who trained in the Dutch tradition of Adriaen van Ostade and Cornelis Bega. In the 1670s and 1680s, Nypoort traveled extensively through the Holy Roman Empire and settled in the Czech lands, where he became associated with the court of Prince-Bishop Karl II of Liechtenstein-Castelcorn, working as an illustrator and engraver in Moravia. Today he is best known for his celebrated cycle of 33 views of the Castle and Gardens of Kromeríž, published in 1691 based on drawings by Georg Matthias Vischer. While many of Nypoort's engravings were published under his own name, this plate was issued posthumously by the Prague publisher Franz Prechler (ca. 1666–1732), a miniaturist and graphic editor originally from Austria who settled in Prague in 1691. In 1698 he founded his own printing workshop at the Karolinum, the historic seat of Charles University, and signed his works as "Franz Prechler exc. Praga" or "in Carolino". His publishing activity extended into the early 18th century and included religious, didactic, and decorative prints. The plate used for this etching likely comes from Nypoort's own circle, but the absence of his signature on this particular impression, combined with Prechler's characteristic imprint, suggests a posthumous edition produced between Nypoort's death (after 1698) and Prechler's death in 1732. Therefore, this print can be dated to the first quarter of the 18th century. Titled "Knife Grinder," this etching shows a man sharpening a blade in front of a group of children in a rustic village setting, while curious onlookers lean out of windows and stairs. These scenes of daily life, depicted with warmth and attention to detail, reflect the enduring appeal of Dutch genre images — not only in the Netherlands, but also in the cities and courts of Baroque Bohemia.