Titelpagina voor: Pieter Harmen Witkamp

About this artwork

collector's mark: Lugt 2228

Art Historical Context

This wood engraving by Popko van Groningen, created in 1850, serves as the title page for a publication associated with Pieter Harmen Witkamp. Measuring just 201 by 155 millimeters, the print exemplifies the refined illustrative tradition of mid-nineteenth-century Dutch book production. Wood engraving, prized for its ability to render crisp lines and intricate detail on end-grain blocks, had become the dominant medium for high-quality reproductions in books and periodicals during this period. The work reflects the era’s growing interest in accessible historical and geographical texts, for which Witkamp was known. Its modest scale suggests an intimate format intended for personal libraries rather than grand display. The presence of collector’s mark Lugt 2228 further underscores the print’s appeal to later connoisseurs, who valued such engravings both for their technical finesse and as artifacts of Dutch publishing history. Today the sheet offers visitors a glimpse into the collaborative world of author, artist, and printer that shaped popular knowledge in the 1800s.

About the Artist

Popko van Groningen · 1822–1888

Popko van Groningen (1822-1888) was a Dutch wood engraver, painter, and art collector who contributed to the revival of wood engraving in the Netherlands during the nineteenth century. Born on April 15, 1822, in Deventer and dying on November 1, 1888, also in Deventer, van Groningen represents the type of versatile provincial artist who worked across multiple media while also engaging in art colle...