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Hendrick Goltzius

Portrait of Dirck Volckertsz. Coornhert, 1591

Description

Maker

  • Hendrick Goltzius, 1558-1617, Dutch

Title

Portrait of Dirck Volckertsz. Coornhert

Year

1591

Medium

Engraving on medium weight cream laid paper, trimmed along and within platemark

Materials/Techniques

Materials

  • engraving

Supports

  • Medium weight cream laid paper

Dimensions

Plate: 52.2 x 41.3 cm (20 9/16 x 16 1/4 inches) (border plate)

Signature / Inscription / Marks

Recto:in brown ink, LR:Nº. 336Verso:in pencil, LL:34448In Plate-- Titled around portrait:THEODORVS CORNHERTIVS, AD VIVVM DEPICTVS ET AERI INCISVS AB H. GOLTZIO./NATVS AMSTELREDAMI Aº CIC(las

Identification

State

3rd of 3

Type

  • Works on Paper,
  • Prints

Credit

Bequest of Isaac C. Bates

Object Number

13.1166

Projects & Publications

Publications

The Brilliant Line

Following the Early Modern Engraver, 1480-1650
Read Online

Exhibition History

Exhibition History

The Brilliant Line

September 18, 2009 - January 3, 2010

This portrait of Goltzius’s early teacher demonstrates how far Goltzius had moved from his mentor’s technique of emphasizing parallel hatching and contour lines by 1591. The loose, sagging skin is created by a network of swelling lines, short strokes, and dots that define the intermediate tones. The man’s shadow, cast into the niche, convinces us of the engraving’s inscription, that Goltzius depicted Coornhert “from life” (ad vivum).

Dirck Volkersz. Coornhert was an artist, intellectual, and outspoken statesman who had been exiled from Haarlem due to his liberal religious convictions. The border features Coornhert’s device, “Know, or let go” (Weet of rust), which expresses his belief that man cannot know all divine mysteries, and the wise refrain from acting in haste in the face of uncertainty. Goltzius created this engraving the year of his teacher’s death. Its large scale offers a tribute to his master, while its technical virtuosity affirms his excellent guidance.

Master Prints from the Permanent Collection

June 21 - September 8, 1985

Use

The images on this website can enable discovery and collaboration and support new scholarship, and we encourage their use. This object is in the public domain (CC0 1.0). This object is Portrait of Dirck Volckertsz. Coornhert with the accession number of 13.1166. To request high-resolution files or new photography, please send an email to imagerequest@risd.edu and include your name and the object's accession number.

Feedback

We view our online collection as a living documents, and our records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you have additional information or have spotted an error, please send feedback to curatorial@risd.edu.

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