Portret van Petrus Mathias Snickers, bisschop van Haarlem

About this artwork

ets en gravure gedrukt op chine collé

Art Historical Context

This striking portrait etching captures Petrus Mathias Snickers, who served as Bishop of Haarlem from 1877 until his death in 1883. Created by Dutch printmaker Petrus Johannes Arendzen during precisely those years, the work serves as both a formal likeness and a commemorative tribute to a prominent Catholic leader in the Netherlands. The large format—measuring 445 by 335 millimeters—lends the figure an imposing, monumental presence suited to ecclesiastical dignity. Arendzen employed etching combined with engraving, printed on chine collé, a technique that transfers delicate lines onto a thin sheet of Oriental paper mounted to a sturdier backing. This method yields exceptionally fine detail and subtle tonal gradations, allowing the artist to render the bishop’s vestments, facial features, and the texture of his mozzetta with remarkable clarity and depth. As a late-nineteenth-century Dutch etching, the print reflects the period’s renewed interest in reproductive and original printmaking as accessible art forms. It offers modern viewers an intimate glimpse into the visual culture of the Dutch Catholic revival, preserving both the likeness of an influential churchman and the refined craftsmanship of Arendzen’s hand.

About the Artist

Petrus Johannes Arendzen · 1855–1935

Petrus Johannes Arendzen (1846–1932) was a Dutch etcher, draughtsman, and painter who dedicated his career to creating reproductive etchings of Dutch paintings in English collections while living in England from 1873 onward. Born in Amsterdam in 1846, Arendzen married Epiphania, daughter of Johan Stracké, and left his native city to pursue a unique commission from the Dutch Government: to copy the...