Portrait of Rutgaert Janszen

Jacques de Gheyn II. - engraver

Jacques de Gheyn II. - engraver - Portrait of Rutgaert Janszen
This captivating portrait depicts the Dutch poet Rutgaert Janszen (1536—1602), a friend of Karel van Mander whose famous Schilder-Boeck became the subject of Janszen’s celebratory poem. The preparatory drawing has been preserved in Teyler’s Museum in Haarlem. Small medallion-shaped print portraits were popular in the Netherlands at the end of the 16th century. They were also made in the workshop of Hendrick Goltzius where the young de Gheyn had apprenticed. In these portraits, de Gheyn shows his talent as an astute observer who depicts his models with a sense for realism and individual psychology.
date:
measurements: height 65 mm
width 50 mm
material: paper
technique: engraving, state II
inventory number: R 102190
gallery collection: Collection of Prints and Drawings