The Mousetrap (c. 1655): Artwork and History

The Mousetrap (c. 1655) is in the Art Institute of Chicago collection. The museum lists its creator attribution as Cornelis Visscher Dutch, c. 1629-1658.

The work and its context

The Art Institute of Chicago describes the work:

Despite his brief lifespan, Cornelis Visscher gained notoriety in 17th-century Holland for his accomplished portraits and unusual depictions of Dutch peasant life. Though many of the latter were derived from paintings, The Mousetrap appears to be Visscher’s original design. In this closely cropped scene, he depicted a couple moments after they have successfully captured an unwelcome critter. The lit candle held by the man illuminates their triumphant expressions as well as the trap’s effectiveness, emphasizing the picture’s contrast.

Object facts

• Title: The Mousetrap
• Date: c. 1655
• Artist attribution: Cornelis Visscher Dutch, c. 1629-1658
• Place of origin: Holland
• Medium: Engraving on ivory laid paper
• Dimensions: Sheet: 14 × 19.7 cm (5 9/16 × 7 13/16 in.)
• Type: Print
• Department: Prints and Drawings
• Reference number: 1923.995

Collection credit

Gift of Horace S. Oakley

View the original

Explore the artwork in the Art Institute's collection, including its image and the museum's current catalogue details.

The description above is credited to the Art Institute of Chicago and reused under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0; HTML formatting has been converted to plain text. Other catalogue metadata and the public-domain image are provided under CC0 1.0.