Serie portretten van vijftiende- en zestiende-eeuwse geleerden

About this artwork

collector's mark: Lugt 2228

Art Historical Context

**Serie portretten van vijftiende- zestiende-eeuwse geleerden** (Series of Portraits ofteenth- and Sixteenth-Century Scholars) is a delicate engraving by Robertissard, created between 1597 and 1599. Measuring just 140 mm high by 108 mm wide, this intimate print captures the likeness of a notable scholar from the Renaissance era, part of a broader series honoring intellectuals of the 1400s and 1500s. Boissard, working in the late 16th century, contributed to the flourishing tradition of engraved portraiture, which allowed these images to be widely disseminated across Europe. Engraving as a medium was revolutionary at the time, enabling precise lines and intricate details on a copper plate, inked and pressed onto paper for multiple impressions. This technique democratized access to portraits of luminaries—humanists, scientists, and philosophers—who shaped the intellectual rebirth of the Renaissance. Boissard's work reflects the era's reverence for classical learning and individual achievement, preserving faces that might otherwise be lost to time. Bearing the collector's mark Lugt 2228, this piece boasts a distinguished provenance, linking it to esteemed collections. For visitors, it offers a window into how art immortalized the minds driving Europe's cultural transformation, blending technical mastery with historical tribute.

About the Artist

Robert Boissard · 1586–1691

Robert Boissard (c. 1570–after 1630) was a French engraver and draughtsman whose work exemplifies the transition from late Renaissance to early Baroque printmaking in France. Born around 1570 in Valence, Boissard belonged to an artistic family and was a relative of the distinguished scholar and artist Jean-Jacques Boissard (1528–1602), whose monumental biographical and archaeological publications ...