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SUYDERHOEF, Jonas (1613-1686) after Pieter SOUTMAN
Philip I, King of Spain and the Low Countries
Haarlem: Published by Pieter Soutman, circa 1644. Mixed method, engraving and etching. Printed on fine laid paper. In excellent condition. Some very minor foxing in the margins. Image size: 15 7/8 x 10 ½ inches. Plate mark: 16 ¼ x 11 inches. Sheet size: 20 ½ x 15 inches.
A stunning portrait of Philip I, by Jonas Suyderhoef, one of the most celebrated Dutch portrait engravers.
Jonas Suyderhoef, was an eminent seventeenth century Dutch engravers. His refined and delicate technique, which combined a complicated use of etching and engraving, revolutionized the medium and introduced a new fluidity to the art of engraving. Considering his fame, surprisingly little is known of Suyderhoef's life and career. Born in 1613 he spent the entirety of his career in Haarlem, becoming one of the city's most esteemed craftsmen. It is conjectured that he received his training from the celebrated Dutch painter and engraver Pieter Soutman. He collaborated with his master on a number of plates and later reproduced many of his paintings into fine engravings. During his career Suyderhoef produced 138 magnificent engravings, the earliest of which is dated 1641 and the latest 1669. Although he did scrape a number of dramatic mythological scenes, the vast majority of his oeuvre was portraits. He reproduced the works of the Dutch masters, in particular the portraits of Rubens, Hals, Van Dyke, and his master Soutman. He entered the Haarlem guild in 1677, and was Franz Hals's principal engraver. In the history of the medium, Jonas Suyderhoef is considered one of the masters of portrait engraving. By illustrating the subtle beauty of the medium, his rich refined style set a precedent for future engravers. This magnificent portrait of Philip I, is an excellent example of Suyderhoef's skill, and an important work from one of the greatest old master engravers of the seventeenth century.
Known as Philip the Handsome, Philip I was the son of Emperor Maximilian I and Mary of Burgundy. He succeeded as King of the Low Countries before marrying Joanna I of Spain. Joanna, the third child of Ferdinand and Isabella came to be known as "Joanna the Mad", her illness being manifest in her intense obsession with Philip. Due to Joanna's mental imbalance, Ferdinand was made regent of Castile and Leon. Jealous of Ferdinand's power, Philip asserted his claim to the throne, forcing Ferdinand to retreat to Aragon. He assumed the throne in 1506, but only reigned for a month before he was struck down by a deadly fever. It is recorded that Joan was so distraught over her husband's death that she refused to be parted from his dead body and remained with him for days until she was forced to leave. Deemed unfit to reign she lived out her days under guard at Tordesillas, while her father and then her son Charles, governed the Spanish empire.
Hollestein, Dutch and Flemish etchings, engravings, and woodcuts, ca. 1450-1700 Vol XXVIII, p. 218, no. 36, state ii; Hind, A History of Engravings and Etchings p. 129; Benezit, Dictionnaire des Peintres, Sculpteurs, Dessinateurs et Graveurs
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#15308 $450.00 
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© 2002-2005 Donald A. Heald
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