Hendrik Goltzius, the son of a stained-glass…
1586 CE
Hendrik Goltzius, the son of a stained-glass painter, had been taught that art by his father and had then been instructed in copperplate engraving by Dirck Volckertszoon Coornhert in Haarlem.
Goltzius' marriage to a rich widow in 1579 has enabled him to set up an independent business in Haarlem.
Owing to his technical facility, he has developed into one of the great masters of engraving in Holland.
His earliest works were reproductions of prints by Albrecht Dürer, Lucas van Leyden, and others, some so skillful as to be mistaken for the originals.
Goltzius technique as an engraver is considered unsurpassed even by Dürer; his Mannerist eccentricities and extravagances are counterbalanced by the freedom and virtuosity of his execution.
He had also begun designing his own compositions, among them a set illustrating the “Story of Ruth and Boaz” and another depicting the “Story of Lucretia,” the ravished Roman matron.
These early works feature intricate detail and interesting chiaroscuro effects of light and shade.
Goltzius executes his series of Roman Heroes (1586) in a broader manner.
His miniature portraits are distinguished both by their finish and as studies of character.
His portrait of the Earl of Leicester, engraved on thin plates of gold and silver, is the masterpiece of this genre.
Images
Henrick Goltzius: Icarus (1588) from the series The four disgracers. Engraving. New York City, New York Public Library.
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West Europe
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