About the artist:

Gabriel Perelle (1604-1677) was one of a French family of artists. He studied drawing with Daniel Rabel. He started making etchings in 1635; his first plates showed the influence of Flemish landscape artists. About 1655 his work began to evolve toward depicting nature in a more dramatic aspect, animated by waterfalls and buildings. Although he etched some prints after other artists, he mainly worked from his own drawings. His many landscapes, seaports, and pastoral scenes were generally drawn from his imagination. He often worked with his sons and pupils Adrien and Adam Perelle, whose work is often difficult to differentiate from the father's. He gave up printmaking around 1665 and turned to drawing maps and plans for the king.