H. Laurentius

About this artwork

collector's mark: Lugt 240

Art Historical Context

**H. Laurentius** a delicate etching by Simon Fokke, a Dutch engraver and draftsman active in the 18th. Created in 1738, this small-scale work measures just 121 mm high by 91 mm wide, exemplifying the intimate format popular for portrait prints during theoco era. Fokke trained in Amsterdam and influenced by French Rococo elegance, was renowned for his reproductive engravings and book illustrations, capturing subjects with fluid lines and subtle tonal gradations. Etching, Fokke's favored medium here, involves coating a metal plate with acid-resistant ground, scratching designs into it, and immersing it in acid to "bite" fine lines—allowing for expressive detail in compact spaces. Likely a portrait of an individual named H. Laurentius, it reflects the era's fascination with personal likenesses, blending Dutch precision with ornamental flair. The presence of a collector's mark (Lugt 240) underscores its provenance, signaling appreciation by discerning 18th-century connoisseurs of prints and drawings. This gem invites us to marvel at Fokke's technical mastery: how such tiny dimensions hold intricate character and historical resonance, bridging personal portraiture with the burgeoning market for affordable art reproductions.

About the Artist

Simon Fokke · 1712–1784

Comment on works: Draugstman; Portrait