Jacob Neefs or Jacob Neeffs (

Antwerp Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504,

, 1610 – Antwerp, after 1660) was a

Flemish Flemish (''Vlaams'') is a Low Franconian dialect cluster of the Dutch language. It is sometimes referred to as Flemish Dutch (), Belgian Dutch ( ), or Southern Dutch (). Flemish is native to Flanders, a historical region in northern Belgium; ...

etcher Etching is traditionally the process of using strong acid or mordant to cut into the unprotected parts of a metal surface to create a design in intaglio (incised) in the metal. In modern manufacturing, other chemicals may be used on other types ...

, engraver and

publisher Publishing is the activity of making information, literature, music, software and other content available to the public for sale or for free. Traditionally, the term refers to the creation and distribution of printed works, such as books, newsp ...

. He worked on publication projects for prominent Flemish artists of his time including Rubens, van Dyck and Jordaens.

Life

Jacob Neefs was a pupil of

Lucas Vorsterman the Elder Lucas Vorsterman (1595–1675) was a Baroque engraver. He worked with the artists Peter Paul Rubens and Anthony van Dyck, as well as for patrons such as Thomas Howard, 21st Earl of Arundel and Charles I of England. Biography Vorsterman ...

. In 1632-3 he was admitted as a master in the

Guild of Saint Luke The Guild of Saint Luke was the most common name for a city guild for painters and other artists in early modern Europe, especially in the Low Countries. They were named in honor of the Evangelist Luke, the patron saint of artists, who was ide ...

of Antwerp. In March 1632 he became a member of the 'Sodaliteit van de Bejaerde Jongmans', a fraternity for bachelors established by the

Jesuit , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...

order. He married Anne Antonissen on 5 February 1655. He is last mentioned in the registers of the Guild of Saint Luke in 1661.Biographical details
at the

Netherlands Institute for Art History The Netherlands Institute for Art History or RKD (Dutch: RKD-Nederlands Instituut voor Kunstgeschiedenis), previously Rijksbureau voor Kunsthistorische Documentatie (RKD), is located in The Hague and is home to the largest art history center i ...

His pupils included Jacques vande Velde (1644–45) and Emanuel Winghen.

Work

Jacob Neefs, Philip Fruytiers (after)- Two putti calculate the distance between two points with a compass

Neefs worked as an engraver for the leading Flemish painters of his age. In Rubens' studio he belonged to the 'new generation' of engravers with the likes of

Hans Witdoeck Hans Witdoeck or Jan Witdoeck (Antwerp, baptized 8 December 1615 - probably Antwerp, after 1642) was a Flemish people, Flemish engraver, draughtsman and art dealer.

. He was one of the last to work under Rubens himself.Christian Coppens. "Neeffs, Jacob." Grove Art Online. Oxford Art Online. Oxford University Press. Web. 16 Nov. 2013
/ref> He worked on the ''Iconography'' of

Anthony van Dyck Sir Anthony van Dyck (, many variant spellings; 22 March 1599 – 9 December 1641) was a Brabantian Flemish Baroque artist who became the leading court painter in England after success in the Southern Netherlands and Italy. The seventh c ...

and completed some of the portraits for the later editions of the ''Iconography'' by adding a sculptural bust and pedestal. It is unknown whether or not this was van Dyck's intention. Other prominent painters for whom or after whom he made engravings include

Jacob Jordaens Jacob (Jacques) Jordaens (19 May 1593 – 18 October 1678) was a Flemish painter, draughtsman and tapestry designer known for his history paintings, genre scenes and portraits. After Peter Paul Rubens and Anthony van Dyck, he was the leading Fle ...

Abraham van Diepenbeeck Abraham van Diepenbeeck (9 May 1596 (baptised) – between May and September 1675) was Dutch painter of the Flemish School. Biography Van Diepenbeeck was baptised in 's-Hertogenbosch. After having received a classical education, he became ...

Gerard Seghers Gerard SeghersGerard Seghers
at the

Philip Fruytiers Philip Fruytiers (1610–1666) was a Flemish Baroque painter and engraver. Until the 1960s, he was especially known for his miniature portraits in watercolor and gouache. Since then, several large canvases signed with the monogram PHF have be ...

Annibale Carracci Annibale Carracci (; November 3, 1560 – July 15, 1609) was an Italian painter and instructor, active in Bologna and later in Rome. Along with his brother and cousin, Annibale was one of the progenitors, if not founders of a leading strand of th ...

and

Theodoor van Thulden Theodoor van Thulden (1606–12 July 1669) was a painter, draughtsman and engraver from 's-Hertogenbosch. He is mainly known for his altarpieces, mythological subjects, allegorical works and portraits. He was active in Antwerp, where he had tra ...

. He collaborated on various printing projects with the leading engravers of his time including

Mattheus Borrekens Mattheus Borrekens or Mattheus BorkensAlso referred to as Mattias Boerrekens and Capiteyn Matthias Borckens ( Antwerp, baptized on 7 July 1615 – Antwerp, 25 December 1670) was a Flemish engraver, printmaker and draughtsman.

Cornelis Galle the Younger Cornelis Galle the Younger, Cornelius Galle or Cornelis Galle (I) (bapt. 23 February 1615, Antwerp – 18 October 1678, Antwerp) was a Flemish printmaker. He worked mainly on publications for the Plantin Press in Antwerp for which he engraved de ...

Wenceslaus Hollar Wenceslaus Hollar (23 July 1607 – 25 March 1677) was a prolific and accomplished Bohemian graphic artist of the 17th century, who spent much of his life in England. He is known to German speakers as ; and to Czech speakers as . He is particu ...

Pieter de Jode II Pieter de Jode II or Pieter de Jode the Younger (1606–1674) was a Flemish Baroque printmaker, draughtsman, painter and art dealer. A scion of an important dynasty of printmakers active in Antwerp, he created many prints after the works of lead ...

, Theodoor van Merlen, Michel Natalis and

Paulus Pontius Paulus Pontius (May 1603 in Antwerp – 16 January 1658 in Antwerp) was a Flemish engraver and painter. He was one of the leading engravers connected with the workshop of Peter Paul Rubens. After Rubens' death, Pontus worked with other leadin ...

. Between 1635 and 1659 Jacob Neeffs illustrated about 10 books, mainly published in Antwerp and

Leuven Leuven (, ) or Louvain (, , ; german: link=no, Löwen ) is the capital and largest city of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located about east of Brussels. The municipality itself comprises the historic ...

. His works are mainly executed with the burin. He also gained a reputation for his drawings which demonstrate a steadiness of hand.Biographical details in Nagler, Georg Kaspar, ''Neues allgemeines Künstler-Lexicon: oder Nachrichten von dem Leben und den Werken der Maler, Bildhauer, Baumeister, Kupferstecher etc, Volume 10'', Munchen, 1841, p.164
/ref>

References

Bibliography

*BASAN F. e.a, Dictionnaire des graveurs anciens et modernes depuis l'origine de la gravure. Avec une notice des principales estampes qu'ils ont gravées; suivi des catalogues des oeuvres de Jacques Jordans & de Corneille Visscher, vol. 2, De Lormel, Parijs, 1767, p. 60 *DELEN A., Tentoonstelling van teekeningen en prenten van Antwerpsche meesters der XVIIe eeuw (Rubens en zijn tijd) entoonstellingscatalogus Antwerpen augustus 1927 – September 1927, Stad Antwerpen, 1927 *HOLLSTEIN F.W.H., Dutch and Flemish Etchings, Engravings and Woodcuts, c. 1450–1700, Amsterdam, 1949 *VAN DEN WIJNGAERT F., Inventaris der Rubeniaansche prentkunst, Uitgeverij de sikkel, Antwerpen, 1940, p. 17

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Neefs, Jacob Flemish engravers Businesspeople from Antwerp Painters from Antwerp 17th-century births Year of death missing