Vignette for the Title Page of C. Peregrino, Principes Hollandiae et Zelandiae

Art Historical Context

This woodcut proof, created in 1632 by Christoffel Jegher after a design by Sir Peter Paul Rubens, served as a decorative vignette for the title page of C. Peregrino’s *Principes Hollandiae et Zelandiae*. The book celebrates the historical rulers of Holland and Zeeland, regions central to the Dutch Republic during its Golden Age. Rubens, the celebrated Flemish Baroque master, supplied the original composition, which Jegher skillfully translated into the bold lines and contrasts of the woodcut medium. As a proof impression on laid paper, the print offers a rare glimpse into the collaborative process between painter and printmaker. Rubens’s dynamic style—marked by dramatic movement and rich detail—reached wider audiences through such reproductions, helping spread Baroque imagery across Europe. Woodcuts like this one were especially valued for book illustrations, combining artistic prestige with practical reproduction. Housed in the National Gallery of Art, this work highlights the important role of prints in 17th-century publishing and cultural exchange. Its acquisition through the William B. O’Neal Fund underscores the museum’s commitment to preserving fine examples of graphic art that connect painting traditions with the printed page.