306 - F. BOUTTATS (*1610) after HEIL (*1609), Portrait of Jean Baptiste van Heil, copper engraving

F. BOUTTATS (*1610) after HEIL (*1609), Portrait of Jean Baptiste van Heil, copper engraving Frederik Bouttats (1610 Antwerp – 1676 ibid.) after Jan Baptist van Heil (born 1609 Brussels): Portrait by the Brussels painter Jean Baptiste van Heil from *Het Gulden Cabinet*, 17th century, copper engraving Technique: Copper engraving on paper Print Quality: A good print with rich black tones and crisp lines; the hatching in the background is even and distinct. Inscription: Signed on the printing plate at the bottom: "Ie. Bapt. van Heil pinxit. fred. Bottats sculpsit. Ie. Meyssens exc.". At the bottom, inscribed on the printing plate: "IEAN BAPTISTE VAN HEIL". Date: 17th century Description: A portrait of the painter Jean Baptiste van Heil, depicted in a three-quarter view facing slightly to the left. The subject has shoulder-length, curly hair, a mustache with a short goatee, a white shirt with a wide turn-down collar, and a dark coat draped artistically over his shoulders. His right hand is raised slightly, with his fingers spread apart. The background is evenly shaded using a delicate cross-hatching pattern. The chiaroscuro modeling is achieved through dense parallel hatching and cross-hatching; the face and neck are rendered in relief using finer lines. Below the image area are several lines of printed text containing the artist’s name, biographical details, and the names of the collector, engraver, and publisher. This work is believed to have originally come from the anthology *Het Gulden Cabinet*, which contained a large number of artists’ portraits. Keywords: Portrait; Bust; Painter; Jean Baptiste van Heil; engraving; Baroque; Flanders; Brussels; 17th century; three-quarter view; curly hair; turn-down collar; cloak; artist’s portrait; Frederik Bouttats; Johannes Meyssens; inscription; series of portraits; 17th century; Baroque; Depictions of Artists; Belgium; Size: Paper: 26.8 cm x 17.4 cm (10.6 x 6.9 in), Plate: 16.0 cm x 11.4 cm (6.3 x 4.5 in), Depiction: 13.8 cm x 10.7 cm (5.4 x 4.2 in) Condition: In fairly good condition. Paper evenly yellowed with age; a few slight water stains; sheet preserved with a wide margin on all sides; slightly wavy, with a few small signs of wear and tiny holes (one in the center left of the background, two at the bottom right just outside the motif), with slight discoloration at the top right