Drie penning met de portretten van Hans Sebald Beham en Anna Beham

About this artwork

verzamelaarsmerk, verso, gestempeld: Lugt 240

Art Historical Context

Wenceslaus Hollar's 1647 etching, *Drie penning met portretten van Hansald Beham en Annaham*, masterfully reproduces a small three-penny coin (or medal) bearing the intimate double portrait of German Renaissance engraver Hans Sebaldham (1500–1550) and his wife Anna. At a compact 68 × 119 mm, this print showcases Hollar's extraordinary skill in capturing the coin's fine details—from the delicate facial features and period attire to the subtle textures of metal and engraving—in a format ideal for collectors and scholars. Hollar, a Bohemian etcher active in Antwerp and London during the turbulent 17th century, was renowned for his reproductive prints of antiquities, medals, and portraits. Etching, his preferred medium, allowed for precise line work and tonal gradations using acid-bitten copper plates, making intricate objects like this coin accessible beyond their rarity. Created amid Hollar's European wanderings (including a stint in Antwerp after England's Civil War), it reflects the era's fascination with Renaissance masters like Beham, a "Little Master" celebrated for his tiny, gem-like engravings. The verso bears a collector's mark (Lugt 240), signaling its prized status among 19th-century connoisseurs. This artwork bridges centuries, preserving Beham's legacy while highlighting etching's role in art historical documentation.

About the Artist

Wenceslaus Hollar · 1607–1677

Wenceslaus Hollar (1607-1677) was a prolific Bohemian etcher who became one of the most accomplished printmakers of the seventeenth century. Born in Prague, he trained under Matthäus Merian in Frankfurt before entering the service of Thomas Howard, Earl of Arundel, in 1636. Hollar spent most of his career in England, where he produced approximately 2,740 etchings documenting an extraordinary range...