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SUYDERHOEF, Jonas (1613-1686) after Lucas Van LEYDEN (1494-1533)
Emperor Maximilian I, (1459-1519)
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 Emperor Maximilian I, by Jonas Suyderhoef, one of the most celebrated Dutch portrait engravers.
Jonas Suyderhoef, was one of the most 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 Emperor Maximilian I (1459-1519), is an excellent example of Suyderhoef's skill, and an important work from one of the greatest old master engravers of the seventeenth century.
The son and successor of Frederick III, Maximilian I became head of the Hapsburg monarchy in 1493, and was elected Holy Roman Emperor in 1508. He sought to restore an absolute Imperial monarchy across Europe, and to reform the increasingly decentralized Hapsburg empire. Maximilian was a keen collector and an avid patron of the arts. He was one of Durer's most important patrons, and commissioned a number of works, including the gigantic woodcuts of "The Triumphal Arch" and "The Triumphal Procession". This portrait is after Lucas Van Leyden's likeness which is generally considered one of the artist's most important images.
Hollestein, Dutch and Flemish etchings, engravings, and woodcuts, ca. 1450-1700 Vol XXVIII, p. 218, no. 35, state ii; Hind, A History of Engravings and Etchings p. 129; Benezit, Dictionnaire des Peintres, Sculpteurs, Dessinateurs et Graveurs
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#15309 $450.00 
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© 2002-2005 Donald A. Heald
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