L’Anglois (The English)

Art Historical Context

Cornelis van Kittenstn’s *L’Anglois (The English)*, created around 1620–40, is a fine example of Dutch Golden Age printmaking. This engraving on ivory laid paper captures the of 17th-century portraiture, with the plate measuring a compact 20.3 × 15.3 cm. Van Kittensteyn, a skilled Dutch engraver, specialized in detailed reproductive prints and character studies, often drawing from contemporary life and international influences during the Netherlands’ prosperous era of trade and exploration. Engraving, as seen here, involved incising intricate lines into a metal plate, a labor-intensive technique that allowed for rich tonal contrasts and widespread dissemination of images—far more affordable than paintings. Printed on high-quality ivory laid paper, which features subtle laid lines from its manufacturing process, this work exemplifies the technical precision prized by collectors. The title suggests it depicts an Englishman, likely in national dress, reflecting the era’s fascination with cultural identities amid Anglo-Dutch exchanges in commerce and diplomacy. Housed in the Art Institute of Chicago’s Prints and Drawings Department, *L’Anglois* offers a window into early modern Europe’s interconnected world, where such prints served both artistic and ethnographic purposes. Visitors will appreciate its meticulous detail, inviting closer inspection of fashion, posture, and expression that defined the time.