Schelte a Bolswert - Guiliam de Vos by Anthony van Dyck

Schelte a Bolswert (1586–1659) was a leading Dutch engraver, noted for his works after

Rubens Sir Peter Paul Rubens (; ; 28 June 1577 – 30 May 1640) was a Flemish artist and diplomat from the Duchy of Brabant in the Southern Netherlands (modern-day Belgium). He is considered the most influential artist of the Flemish Baroque traditio ...

and

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 ...

Life

He was born in the town of Bolswert, in

Friesland Friesland (, ; official fry, Fryslân ), historically and traditionally known as Frisia, is a province of the Netherlands located in the country's northern part. It is situated west of Groningen, northwest of Drenthe and Overijssel, north of ...

, in 1586. Both he and his older brother,

Boetius à Bolswert Boetius à Bolswert (also Boetius Adamsz Bolswert, Bodius; c. 1585, – late 1633) was a Flemish engraver of Friesland origin. In his time the paintings of Peter Paul Rubens called forth new endeavours by engravers to imitate or reproduce the bre ...

, worked in Amsterdam and Haarlem before settling in Antwerp. For the last five years of his life Boetius worked exclusively on engravings after Rubens. Following his death in 1633, Schelte was employed by Rubens in his place, working closely with the painter, who sometimes retouched his proofs. He continued to engrave his works after Rubens' death in 1640. Bolswert's plates were worked entirely with the graver, and he does not seem to have made any use of the

drypoint Drypoint is a printmaking technique of the intaglio (printmaking), intaglio family, in which an image is incised into a plate (or "matrix") with a hard-pointed "needle" of sharp metal or diamond point. In principle, the method is practically ident ...

. Basan said of his work:

The freedom which this excellent artist handled the graver, the picturesque roughness of etching, which he could imitate without any other assisting instrument, and the ability he possessed of distinguishing the different masses of colours, have always been admired by the conoisseurs".

Joseph Strutt, after quoting this passage, adds that Bolswert "drew excellently, and without any manner of his own; for his prints are the exact transcripts of the pictures he engraved from". His plates are generally signed with his name. He died at Antwerp in 1659.

Principal prints

Various subjects, mostly after his own designs

*''The Infant Jesus and St. John playing with a Lamb''. *''The Virgin Mary, and Infant Jesus sleeping''. *''The Virgin giving suck to the Infant''. *''The Virgin Mary, with her hands folded on her Breast''. *''The Virgin Mary with the Infant in the clouds, with Angels and

Cherub A cherub (; plural cherubim; he, כְּרוּב ''kərūḇ'', pl. ''kərūḇīm'', likely borrowed from a derived form of akk, 𒅗𒊏𒁍 ''karabu'' "to bless" such as ''karibu'', "one who blesses", a name for the lamassu) is one of the u ...

im''. *''The Infant Jesus caressing the Virgin Mary, and

St. Joseph Joseph (; el, Ἰωσήφ, translit=Ioséph) was a 1st-century Jewish man of Nazareth who, according to the canonical Gospels, was married to Mary, the mother of Jesus, and was the legal father of Jesus. The Gospels also name some brothers ...

holding a Pear''. *Twelve half-length figures of Saints. *Twelve other half-length figures of Saints, beginning with St. Peter. *''A

Hermit A hermit, also known as an eremite (adjectival form: hermitic or eremitic) or solitary, is a person who lives in seclusion. Eremitism plays a role in a variety of religions. Description In Christianity, the term was originally applied to a Ch ...

kneeling before a

Crucifix A crucifix (from Latin ''cruci fixus'' meaning "(one) fixed to a cross") is a cross with an image of Jesus on it, as distinct from a bare cross. The representation of Jesus himself on the cross is referred to in English as the ''corpus'' (Lati ...

''. *''

Mater Dolorosa Our Lady of Sorrows ( la, Beata Maria Virgo Perdolens), Our Lady of Dolours, the Sorrowful Mother or Mother of Sorrows ( la, Mater Dolorosa, link=no), and Our Lady of Piety, Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows or Our Lady of the Seven Dolours are names ...

''. *''Jesus Christ triumphing over Death''. *''

St. Barbe St. Barbe is an List of communities in Newfoundland and Labrador, unincorporated settlement in Newfoundland and Labrador. It is located on the Great Northern Peninsula of the island of Newfoundland (island), Newfoundland near Pigeon Cove (some ...

, Martyr''. *'' St. Stanislaus Koska, kneeling before an

Altar An altar is a table or platform for the presentation of religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, churches, and other places of worship. They are used particularly in paga ...

''. *''St.

Francis Borgia Francis Borgia ( ca-valencia, Francesc de Borja; es, Francisco de Borja; 28 October 1510 – 30 September 1572) was a Spanish Jesuit priest. The great-grandson of Pope Alexander VI, he was Duke of Gandía and a grandee of Spain. After th ...

''. *'' St. Alfonso Rodriguez''. *'' Robert Bellarmin, of the

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

''. *''

Leonard Lessius Leonardus Lessius ( nl, Lenaert Leys; 1 October 1554, in Brecht – 15 January 1623, in Leuven) was a Flemish moral theologian from the Jesuit order. Life At the age of thirteen the young Leonard won the Brecht scholarship to the University of ...

''; another Jesuit. *An emblematical subject of Prince Ferdinand; inscribed ''In te spes reclinata recumbit''. *Two plates of a Thesis; dedicated to Sigismund, King of Poland. *Six plates, with the Frontispiece, for the Académie de I'Espée; by Thibault. 1628. *''The Dispute between the Gras and the Meagre''; B. A. Bolswert inv.

Various subjects, after different Flemish masters

Schelte a Bolswert - elegant gezelschap Christoffel vd Laemen

*''The Death of a Saint, and that of a Sinner''; after Diepenbeeck. *''The Dead Christ on the Knees of the Virgin Mary''. *'' The Crucifixion of the Three Jesuits at Japan''; after the same. *''The Crucifixion''; '' Jac. Jordans inv. et pinx''.; the best impressions are before the ''cum Privilegio Regis''. *''

Mercury Mercury commonly refers to: * Mercury (planet), the nearest planet to the Sun * Mercury (element), a metallic chemical element with the symbol Hg * Mercury (mythology), a Roman god Mercury or The Mercury may also refer to: Companies * Merc ...

and Argus''; after the same; the good impressions are before the address of Blooteling. *''The infant

Jupiter Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the List of Solar System objects by size, largest in the Solar System. It is a gas giant with a mass more than two and a half times that of all the other planets in the Solar System combined, but ...

''. *'' Pan playing on a Flute''; after the same. *''A Concert''; entitled ''Soo Doude songen, soo pepen de Jongen''; after the same. *''Pan holding a Basket of Fruit, and

Ceres Ceres most commonly refers to: * Ceres (dwarf planet), the largest asteroid * Ceres (mythology), the Roman goddess of agriculture Ceres may also refer to: Places Brazil * Ceres, Goiás, Brazil * Ceres Microregion, in north-central Goiás ...

crowned with Corn, and a Man sounding a Horn''; after the same. *''The Salutation''; after Gerard Zegers. *'' The Return of the Holy Family out of Egypt''; after the same. *''The Virgin appearing to St. Ignatius, who is kneeling''; after the same. *''St.

Francis Xavier Francis Xavier (born Francisco de Jasso y Azpilicueta; Latin: ''Franciscus Xaverius''; Basque: ''Frantzisko Xabierkoa''; French: ''François Xavier''; Spanish: ''Francisco Javier''; Portuguese: ''Francisco Xavier''; 7 April 15063 December 1 ...

, tempted by the Devil''; after the same. *''Peter denying Christ''; after the same. *'' Abraham sacrificing Isaac''; after Theoodor Rombouts. *''A Concert''; after the same. *''The Virgin with the Infant Jesus holding a Globe''; after Erasmus Quellinus. *''The Communion of St. Rosa''; after the same. *''The Triumph of the Archduke Leopold William, Governor of the Netherlands, 1653''; four sheets; after the same.

Portraits, etc., after Van Dyck

*'' Andries van Ertvelt'', painter of Antwerp. *'' Martin Pepin'', painter. *'' Adriaan Brouwer'', painter. *''

Jan Baptist Barbé Jan Baptist Barbé Justus Lipsius Justus Lipsius (Joest Lips or Joost Lips; 18 October 1547 – 23 March 1606) was a Flemish Catholic philologist, philosopher, and humanist. Lipsius wrote a series of works designed to revive ancient Stoicism in a form that would be compatible w ...

'',

historiographer royal Historiographer Royal is the title of an appointment as official chronicler or historian of a court or monarch. It was initially particularly associated with the French monarchy, where the post existed from at least 1550, but in the later 16th and 1 ...

. *'' Albert de Ligne, Prince of Barbançon and Arenberg''. *''Mary Ruthven'', wife of Van Dyck. *''

Margaret of Lorraine Margaret of Lorraine, Duchess of Alençon (1463 at the castle of Vaudémont, Lorraine – 2 November 1521 in Argentan, Normandy) was a French noblewoman and a nun of the order of Poor Clares (''Ordre des Clarisses''). She was beatified in 1921. ...

'', Duchess of Orleans. *'' Willem de Vos'', painter. (pictured) *'' Sebastiaan Vranck'', painter. *'' Maria mater Dei''. *''The

Holy Family The Holy Family consists of the Child Jesus, the Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph. The subject became popular in art from the 1490s on, but veneration of the Holy Family was formally begun in the 17th century by Saint François de Laval, the first ...

, with an Angel holding a Crown''. *''The Virgin and the Infant Christ on her Knoe, with a Female Saint holding a Palm''. *''The Holy Family, with the Infant sleeping in the Arms of the Virgin''. *''The Holy Family in a landscape, with several Angels''. *''Christ crowned with Thorns''; very fine. *'' The Elevation of the Cross''. *''The

Crucifixion Crucifixion is a method of capital punishment in which the victim is tied or nailed to a large wooden cross or beam and left to hang until eventual death from exhaustion and asphyxiation. It was used as a punishment by the Persians, Carthagin ...

'', a grand composition, with two Men on horseback, and a figure presenting the Sponge to Christ. On the other side, the Virgin Mary and St. John standing, and

Mary Magdalene Mary Magdalene (sometimes called Mary of Magdala, or simply the Magdalene or the Madeleine) was a woman who, according to the four canonical gospels, traveled with Jesus as one of his followers and was a witness to crucifixion of Jesus, his cru ...

kneeling and embracing the Cross. This is considered one of the most beautiful engravings by Bolswert. In the first impressions, which are very scarce, the hand of St. John is not seen on the shoulder of the Virgin: in the second impressions, the hand of St. John rests on the Virgin's shoulder, and the name of Van Dyck is changed from the left to the right hand comer of the plate. In the last impressions the hand was erased, probably to give them the appearance of first impressions, but the trick is easily discovered by the superiority of the first in point of clearness and colour.

Subjects after Rubens

*'' The Brazen Serpent''; the best impressions are those which have the word Antwerpiae at the right hand corner, without the name of G. Hendrix. *''The

Marriage of the Virgin The Marriage of the Virgin is the subject in Christian art depicting the marriage of the Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph. The marriage is not mentioned in the canonical Gospels but is covered in several apocryphal sources and in later redactions, no ...

''; the best impressions have the name of Hendrix, without the word Antwerpiae. *''The

Annunciation The Annunciation (from Latin '), also referred to as the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Annunciation of Our Lady, or the Annunciation of the Lord, is the Christian celebration of the biblical tale of the announcement by the ange ...

''; the best impressions are those with the address of

Martinus van den Enden the Elder Martinus or Maarten van den Enden or van den EyndeMartinus van den Enden
at the

...

. *''

The Nativity The nativity of Jesus, nativity of Christ, birth of Jesus or birth of Christ is described in the biblical gospels of Luke and Matthew. The two accounts agree that Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judaea, his mother Mary was engaged to a man ...

''; the best impressions have the same address. *''

The Adoration of the Magi The Adoration of the Magi or Adoration of the Kings is the name traditionally given to the subject in the Nativity of Jesus in art in which the Biblical Magi, three Magi, represented as kings, especially in the West, having found Jesus by fol ...

''; the same. *''The Return of the Holy Family from Egypt'': the same. *''The Feast of Herod, with Herodias presenting the Head of St. John to her Mother''. *''The Executioner giving the Head of St. John to Herodias''. *''The

miraculous Draught of Fishes The miraculous catch of fish, or more traditionally the miraculous draught of fish(es), is either of two events commonly (but not universally) considered to be miracles in the canonical gospels. The miracles are reported as taking place years apa ...

''; in three plates. *''Christ crucified between the Thieves''; G. Hendrix exc. *''The Crucifixion, a Soldier on horseback piercing the side of Our Saviour''; dated 1631; extremely fine. *''The Crucifixion, with the city of Jerusalem in the distance''; M. van den Enden exc. *''The Dead Christ in the Lap of the Virgin Mary, with. St. Francis''; the same subject is engraved by Pontius. *''The

Resurrection Resurrection or anastasis is the concept of coming back to life after death. In a number of religions, a dying-and-rising god is a deity which dies and is resurrected. Reincarnation is a similar process hypothesized by other religions, which ...

''; M. van den Enden excudit. *''The Ascension''; the same. *''The Four Evangelists''. *''The

Fathers of the Church The Church Fathers, Early Church Fathers, Christian Fathers, or Fathers of the Church were ancient and influential Christian theologians and writers who established the intellectual and doctrinal foundations of Christianity. The historical pe ...

''; Nic. Lauwers exc. *''The Destruction of

Idolatry Idolatry is the worship of a cult image or "idol" as though it were God. In Abrahamic religions (namely Judaism, Samaritanism, Christianity, the Baháʼí Faith, and Islam) idolatry connotes the worship of something or someone other than the A ...

''; in two sheets; the same. *''The Triumph of the Church''; in two sheets; the same. *''The

Immaculate Conception The Immaculate Conception is the belief that the Virgin Mary was free of original sin from the moment of her conception. It is one of the four Marian dogmas of the Catholic Church, meaning that it is held to be a divinely revealed truth w ...

''; Ant. Bon. Enfant exc. *''The Assumption''; arched; M. van den Enden exc. *''The Assumption, with one of the Disciples lifting the Stone of the Sepulchre''; M. van den Enden; the impressions with the address of G. Hendrix are posterior, and those with the name of C. van Merlen are retouched. *''The Infant Jesus embracing the Virgin Mary''; M. van den Enden exc. *''The Virgin Mary holding a Globe, and the Infant Jesus holding a Sceptre''. *''The Holy Family, vrith the Infant Jesus and St. John caressing a Lamb''. *''The Holy Family, with a Parrot on a Pillar''; A. Bonenfant exc. *''St. Ignatius and St. Francis Xavier''; the first impressions are before the name of Rubens. *''The Education of the Virgin by

St. Anne According to Christianity, Christian apocryphal and Islamic tradition, Saint Anne was the mother of Mary, mother of Jesus, Mary and the maternal grandmother of Jesus. Mary's mother is not named in the Gospel#Canonical gospels, canonical gospels. ...

''; the best impressions are without the name of Hendrix. *'' St. Cecilia''; very fine. *''

St. Theresa Saints named Teresa include: *Saint Teresa of Ávila (1515–1582), or Teresa of Jesus, Spaniard, founder of the Discalced Carmelites, and Doctor of the Church *Saint Thérèse of Lisieux (1873–1897), or Teresa of the Child Jesus, French Discalce ...

at the Feet of Christ, interceding for the Souls in

Purgatory Purgatory (, borrowed into English via Anglo-Norman and Old French) is, according to the belief of some Christian denominations (mostly Catholic), an intermediate state after physical death for expiatory purification. The process of purgatory ...

''; M. van den Enden exc. *''The Continence of Scipio''; the best impressions are before the address of G. Hendrix. *''

Silenus In Greek mythology, Silenus (; grc, Σειληνός, Seilēnós, ) was a companion and tutor to the wine Greek god, god Dionysus. He is typically older than the satyrs of the Dionysian retinue (''thiasos''), and sometimes considerably older, ...

, drunk, supported by a

Satyr In Greek mythology, a satyr ( grc-gre, :wikt:σάτυρος, σάτυρος, sátyros, ), also known as a silenus or ''silenos'' ( grc-gre, :wikt:Σειληνός, σειληνός ), is a male List of nature deities, nature spirit with ears ...

, with another figure''; the best impressions are those with the name of Bolswert only, without the address. *''A Peasant Dance'', Gillis Hendricx excudit. Bolswert etc 011

Landscapes and hunting scenes

*A set of six 'large landscapes' after Rubens **

Philemon and Baucis In Ovid's moralizing fables collected as ''Metamorphoses'' is his telling of the story of Baucis and Philemon, which stands on the periphery of Greek mythology and Roman mythology. Baucis and Philemon were an old married couple in the region ...

(

Ovid Pūblius Ovidius Nāsō (; 20 March 43 BC – 17/18 AD), known in English as Ovid ( ), was a Roman poet who lived during the reign of Augustus. He was a contemporary of the older Virgil and Horace, with whom he is often ranked as one of the th ...

) - grand landscape deluged by a torrent. **Shipwreck of

AEneas In Greco-Roman mythology, Aeneas (, ; from ) was a Trojan hero, the son of the Trojan prince Anchises and the Greek goddess Aphrodite (equivalent to the Roman Venus). His father was a first cousin of King Priam of Troy (both being grandsons ...

(

Virgil Publius Vergilius Maro (; traditional dates 15 October 7021 September 19 BC), usually called Virgil or Vergil ( ) in English, was an ancient Roman poet of the Augustan period. He composed three of the most famous poems in Latin literature: t ...

) - grand landscape, sea-coast, beacon and a shipwreck. **Shipwreck of St Paul at Malta. - landscape with rainbow. ** The Calydonian Boar Hunt, with

Atalanta Atalanta (; grc-gre, Ἀταλάντη, Atalantē) meaning "equal in weight", is a heroine in Greek mythology. There are two versions of the huntress Atalanta: one from Arcadia, whose parents were Iasus and Clymene and who is primarily known ...

and

Meleager In Greek mythology, Meleager (, grc-gre, Μελέαγρος, Meléagros) was a hero venerated in his ''temenos'' at Calydon in Aetolia. He was already famed as the host of the Calydonian boar hunt in the epic tradition that was reworked by Ho ...

in a grand woody landscape. **A view near

Mechlin Mechelen (; french: Malines ; traditional English name: MechlinMechelen has been known in English as ''Mechlin'', from where the adjective ''Mechlinian'' is derived. This name may still be used, especially in a traditional or historical contex ...

, with Haymakers and a Waggon, and figures driving Cattle. ** Return of the Prodigal SonRubens c. 1618: Royal Museum of Fine Arts,

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,

. E.g. Fitzwilliam Museum Accession K.22. - including a stable with horses and cows. *A set of twenty 'smaller landscapes'. *A set of twelve Huntings of different animals, of which one is a Lion Hunt, with figures on horseback.

References

Attribution: *