Portretten naar Anthony van Dyck door Joannes Meyssens uitgegeven

About this artwork

ets, gedrukt van een deels afgedekte plaat

Art Historical Context

Welcome to our virtual gallery, where we explore the intricate world of 17th-century printmaking. *Portretten naar Anthony van Dyck door Jo Meyssens uitgegeven is an exquisite etching by Wenceslauslar, created between 0 and 1670. Measuring 278 mm high by 190 mm wide, this work reproduces a portrait originally painted by the Flemish Baroque master Anthony van Dyck (1599–1641), whose elegant depictions of nobility defined an era. Hollar, a Bohemian artist renowned for his meticulous detail and topographical views, captures van Dyck's refined style in this homage. Published by Antwerp engraver Joannes Meyssens, the print was part of a series disseminating van Dyck's iconic portraits across Europe after his death. This allowed collectors and admirers to own affordable replicas of grand oil paintings, fueling the Baroque taste for portraiture among the elite. Hollar's etching technique—using acid to bite fine lines into a metal plate—brings van Dyck's fluid drapery and expressive faces to life with remarkable precision. A fascinating technical note: the print was made from a partially covered plate ("ets, gedrukt van een deels afgedekte plaat"), a clever method to produce variants or series by masking sections during inking. This innovation highlights the era's ingenuity in reproductive art, bridging painting and print culture for wider appreciation.

About the Artist

Wenceslaus Hollar · 1607–1677

Wenceslaus Hollar (1607-1677) was a prolific Bohemian etcher who became one of the most accomplished printmakers of the seventeenth century. Born in Prague, he trained under Matthäus Merian in Frankfurt before entering the service of Thomas Howard, Earl of Arundel, in 1636. Hollar spent most of his career in England, where he produced approximately 2,740 etchings documenting an extraordinary range...