353 - J. MEYSSENS (*1612) after an unknown artist (17th century), Portrait of Henri de Keyser, copper engraving

J. MEYSSENS (*1612) after an unknown artist (17th century), Portrait of Henri de Keyser, copper engraving Joannes Meyssens (1612–1670) after an unknown artist (17th century): Portrait of Hendrik de Keyser, architect and sculptor from Amsterdam, from *Het Gulden Cabinet*, 17th century, copper engraving Technique: Copper engraving on paper Print Quality: A good print with clear lines and rich black tones; the hatching is well defined. Inscription: Signed on the lower part of the printing plate: "I. Meyssens fecit excudit". Date: 17th century Description: Portrait of Hendrik de Keyser, a Dutch architect and sculptor. The print depicts a three-quarter profile portrait facing left. The bearded, middle-aged man has curly hair, a trimmed full beard with a mustache, and is wearing a contemporary garment with a buttoned placket and a white collar. In his right hand, he holds a compass or stylus, symbolizing his profession. The modeling is achieved through dense cross-hatching, which builds up the dark background and brings out the three-dimensional quality of the face. The light falls from the top left. Below the illustration is a multi-line French caption containing biographical details, as well as a publisher’s note. This work is believed to originate from the anthology *Het Gulden Cabinet*, which contained a large number of artists’ portraits. Keywords: Portrait; Hendrik de Keyser; Architect; Sculptor; Netherlands; Amsterdam; Bust; Three-quarter view; Compass; Attribute; Engraving; Baroque; Caption; Publisher’s mark; Meissen; Scholarly print; historical portrait; 17th century; portrait of a man; professional attribute; 17th century; Baroque; Portraits; Netherlands; Size: Paper: 25.1 cm x 19.6 cm (9.9 x 7.7 in), Plate: 15.9 cm x 11.0 cm (6.3 x 4.3 in), Depiction: 13.7 cm x 10.6 cm (5.4 x 4.2 in) Condition: Good condition. Paper evenly browned; a few small water stains, particularly toward the top of the sheet; sheet slightly irregularly trimmed, top left-hand corner folded back; left-hand side showing traces of having been removed from a booklet or book; remnants of adhesive tape at the top of the reverse side