"Bethlehem", Bruyn, Cornelius de

This lovely view of Bethlehem shows the small village in impressive detail. In the foreground there are travelers on the road and a shepherd with his flock.

Cornelius de Bruyn (1652-1726) was a Dutch artist who traveled through the Holy Land and other portions of Asia. De Bruyn had to disguise his activities because this was a repressive period during the Ottoman rule when foreigners were regarded with suspicion and the making of "graven images" was prohibited. De Bruyn avoided detection by pretending to be picnicking with two Franciscan monks who stood guard while he made his drawings. His works are particularly historically valuable because of their accuracy.

References:

Condition: A

A nice impression issued folding with light toning along the sheet edges and a repaired fold separation confined to the bottom blank margin.