Hans Bol
Medium
Engraving on laid paper
Dimensions
Sheet (trimmed): 26.1 × 18 cm (10 5/16 × 7 1/8 in.)
Classification
engraving
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
264807
Art Historical Context
This engraving by Hendrick Goltzius, created in 1593, presents a portrait of the Flemish painter Hans Bol. Working in the Netherlands during the late Renaissance, Goltzius was one of the most celebrated printmakers of his generation. His precise line work and ability to suggest texture and depth through the engraved line made him a master of the medium, and this sheet exemplifies the refined technique that allowed his images to reach audiences far beyond the original drawing or painting. As a print on laid paper, the work belongs to a tradition in which engravings served both as independent a...
About the Artist
Hendrick Goltzius · 1558–1617
Hendrick Goltzius (1558–1617) was the most celebrated engraver of the Northern Renaissance and a pivotal figure in Dutch Mannerism. Born near the German-Dutch border, Goltzius transformed printmaking into a virtuoso art form through his revolutionary 'swelling line' technique, where the burin was manipulated to create lines of varying thickness that produced unprecedented tonal effects and three-d...