Wenceslaus HollarCzech, English, 1607–1677Royal Exchange
Can I see it?
Not on view at present
Where is “Royal Exchange” now? Collection: Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago. Not on view at present. Checked September 29, 2026.
Chicago, United States
It belongs to the collection, but is not on display at present.
- Checked
- In this state since
- Source
- The museum
About the work
Wenceslaus Hollar depicted this international marketplace in intricate detail, including such intimate scenes as a woman hawking broadsheet prints on the left and Turkish vendors in the center. Sir Thomas Gresham, whose portrait medallion hangs beneath the title in later states, built this impressive structure in 1569. The building burned to the ground in London’s Great Fire, 22 years after Hollar’s depiction. The print would be reissued in 1668, however, catering to public interest by adding a caption reading, “This is ye Exact Representation of ye Royall Exchange as it was before ye late Fire, 1666, designed and engauen by W. Hollar.”
Art Institute of ChicagoCC BY 4.0
Details
- Accession number
- 1938.1554
In the catalog
Sources
- Art Institute of Chicago
- Image: Art Institute of Chicago — CC0
In the life of Wenceslaus Hollar
The whole lifeby 1642
Enters the service of the Duke of York
By 1642 Arundel had left England, and Hollar passed into the service of the Duke of York, taking his young family with him.
1643–1644
Endures the siege of Basing House with fellow royalist artists
With other royalist artists, notably Inigo Jones and the engraver William Faithorne, he stands the long siege of Basing House; some hundred plates by his hand are dated 1643 and 1644. The Civil War, despite his productivity, adversely affected his income.
1645
Captured by parliamentary forces, he escapes
Hollar joins the Royalist Regiment and is captured by parliamentary forces in 1645 during the siege of Basing House; after a short time he manages to escape.
1646
After Arundel’s death he works for authors and publishers
After the earl’s death in Padua in 1646, Hollar earns his living by working for various authors and publishers, which becomes his primary means of distribution.
1646
Meets Arundel again in Antwerp
In Antwerp in 1646 Hollar again meets the Earl of Arundel, in whose household he had lived for many years.
1646–1652
Works in Antwerp during the Civil Wars
During the unrest of the Civil Wars he works in Antwerp, where he produces many of his most renowned works: Dutch cityscapes, seascapes, depictions of nature, his “muffs” and “shells”.
![Bride, from "Dance of Death", Wenceslaus Hollar, [1651] late 18th century printing](https://images.metmuseum.org/CRDImages/dp/web-large/DP822840.jpg)
