Portret van Hans Worrenbergh

About this artwork

verzamelaarsmerk, verso, gestempeld: Lugt 2228

Art Historical Context

**Portrait of Hans Worrenbergh *Jacob Gole, 1688–1696* *Engraving, 249 × 186 mm* Step into the refined world of late 17th-century Dutchure with Jacob Gole's engraving of Hans Worrenbergh. Created during the waning years of the Dutch Golden Age, this work captures the likeness of its subject—a likely notable figure of the era—through Gole's masterful command of line and tone. Gole, a Amsterdam-based engraver, was renowned for producing detailed reproductive prints and portraits that brought the elite to a wider audience, reflecting the period's fascination with individualism and status. Engraving, the medium here, involved incising fine lines into a copper plate, inking it, and pressing paper to create multiples. This technique allowed for exceptional precision in facial features, textures like lace collars, and subtle shading, making portraits accessible beyond oil paintings reserved for the wealthy. At 25 by 19 cm, this intimate scale suited personal collections or albums, embodying the era's print culture boom fueled by trade and innovation. A special note on its verso: a collector's mark (Lugt 2228) stamps its prestigious provenance, linking it to esteemed 18th- or 19th-century connoisseurs. This engraving not only preserves Worrenbergh's image but also whispers of the enduring value placed on such artisanal prints in European art history.

About the Artist

Jacob Gole · 1660–1737

Jacob Gole (c. 1660-1737) was a Dutch engraver and mezzotinter renowned for his portrait engravings and his role in disseminating the mezzotint technique across Europe. Born in Paris to the celebrated Huguenot cabinetmaker Pierre Gole, he emerged as one of the most skilled printmakers of the late Dutch Golden Age. Gole's significance in art history lies primarily in his mastery of the mezzotint t...