LOW COUNTRIES, ENGRAVERS OF THE. 



plate, from drawings by Rubens, after the piftures by Van 

 Eyck ; and the portico of the picture gallery at BrufFels!, 

 commonly called " The Gallery of Teniers," from Van 

 Hoy, all of folio fize. 



Hans or John Witdoeck, Withouc, or Witdouck, was 

 born at Antwerp, A. D. 1604. He was among tlie num- 

 ber of artifts who enjoyed the friendlhip and inllruAions of 

 Rubens, and leems to have entirely devoted himfelf to en- 

 graving the piftures of that great mafter. Witdoeck did 

 not well underlland the human figure, for the naked parts 

 are but indifferently exprefled, the extremities ar-e heavy, 

 and the markings of the joints are not" properly determined. 

 Neither is the mechanical part of his engravirig lefs excep- 

 tionable. It proves that he had very little command of the 

 graver, or did not fufficiently lludy that part of the art to 

 produce a clear and agreeable effect. Notwithftanding thcfe 

 faults. Baffan has praifed him, and the prints wtiich he exe- 

 cuted under the eye of Rubens in chiarofcuro, poffefs a 

 tolerable effeft. 



The following engravings from the hand of this mafter, 

 are thofe which are moft worthy the notice of the collector. 

 A pair of bulls of " Cicero" and " Demofthenesi," in folio ; 

 *' Melchizedeck prefentiiig Bread and Wine to Abraham 

 and his Followers ;" " A Nativity," both in large folio, 

 from Rubens. This latter plate underwent feveral alte- 

 rations, chiefly to add to the effeft. The firft impreffions 

 are without the addrefs of Com. Coeberch, the fecond 

 liave the addrefs ; after which the plate came into the 

 hands of S. Bolfwert, who engraved on, and improved 'it 

 very much. He effaced the name of Coeberch, and 

 inferted his own. " The Adoration of the Kings," in 

 large folio, from Rubens. This print likewife under- 

 went feveral alterations in the effect. " The Elevation 

 of the Crofs," a large print lengthways, from Rubens, on 

 three plates ; " Chrift at Table with his two Difciples at 

 Emmaus,"a large folio plate, nearly fquare. There are fome 

 few impreffions of this plate, with the addition of a tint from 

 a wooden block ; but thefe are very rare. " The Affump- 

 tion of the Virgin," a very fine and rare print, in large folio, 

 of which thofe impreffions that are marked C. Van Mulen 

 are retouched. " The Virgin and Infant Chrift," in an oval 

 border ; " The Holy Family," where the Virgin is repre- 

 fented fuckling the Infant Jefus. The be ft impreffions of 

 this engraving have the addrefs of Moermans. Another 

 " Holy Family," here the Holy Infant is rcprefented 

 afleep on the bofom of his inother, all of folio fize ; " St. 

 Ildefonfe receiving a Chafuble from the Holy Virgin," a 

 very fine and rare print, in large fofio ; " The beheading of 

 St. Juftus ;" and " St. Ceciha," both in large folio, and all 

 after Rubens. 



■/Ijter Cornelius Schut. — ".ludithand Holofernes;" "The 

 Holy Family ;" «' The Virgin on a Crefcent ;" « The 

 Virgin feated in a Landfcape, furrounded by Angels;' 

 " The Virgin and Chrift, accompanied by St. John and 

 Angels,'' all in folio ; and " St. Nicholas appearing to the 

 Emperor Conilantine, and delivering three Tribunes from 

 Prifon," in large folio. 



Remoldus, or Rombaiit Eynhouedts, was born at An- 

 twerp in the year 1605, in which city he always refided. His 

 plates are executed with a firm dark point, and in a ftyle which 

 he had the art of varying and adapting to thofe of the feveral 

 painters after whom he engraved. His drawing, though not 

 always equally correft, is very fpirited, and his maffes of light 

 and fhade very well preferved. His principal engravings 

 are after Rubens and Schut, but he likewife engraved fome 

 fubjefts for " The Cabinet of Teniers." 



We (hall fpecify the following from the hand of this artift : 

 Vol. XXI. 



" A dead Chrift," after Palma the younger ; " Chrift rifing 

 from the Tomb," after the elder Palma ; " The Adoration 

 of tlie Kings," after Rubens, very rare ; " The Refurreftioa 

 of Chrift," from the fame painter ; " The Fathers of the 

 Church," and " St. Clare holding the Holy Sacrament ;" all 

 of folio fize. " The Virgin feated, furrounded by Saints ;" 

 "The Chapel where Rubens was entombed," in 410.; 

 " St. Gregory, between Prudence and Courage, leaning on 

 a Staff;" above is a pifture of the Virgin and Chrift, and 

 angels holding wreaths of fruit, after Rubeni, in large 

 folio. " St. Chriftopher," in folio, after the fame painter; 

 "St. Peter" and " St. Paul," in folio; " Cambyfes, King 

 of Perfia," who liaving ordered an evil judge to be flayed 

 alive, caufed his fkin to be fprcad upon the feat of juftice, 

 and placed the fon of the culprit upon it, making him 

 judge in his father'.^ jtead ; a fmall fquare plate. " Peace and 

 Happinefs," Peace is crowned by Victory, andisfupported by 

 Power and Jufti.c, accompanied by other al egorical figures, 

 all after Rubens ; " St. Ann," in folio ; " The Affump- 

 tion of the Virgin ;" and " The Martyrdom of St. George ;" 

 both in large folio, after Schut. 



Peter Clouet, Clowet, or Clouvet, was bom at Antwerp, 

 A.D. 1606 ; he learned the elements of art in his native 

 country, and afterwards went to Italy fcr improvement, 

 where he ftudied under Spierre and Bloemaert. He returned 

 by way of Pari.', where he remained and exercifed his pro- 

 feffion for fome time, but finally fettled at Antwerp. 



He worked entirely with the graver in a clear firm ftyle, 

 not a little refembhng that of P. Pontius. His prints are 

 generally deficient in middle tints, and therefore in harmony, 

 and though full of colour, and boldly engraven, from too 

 equal a diftribution of the fhadows, and the hghts being too 

 much fcattered, they lofe a great part of their effedt. How- 

 ever, his prints, cfpecially thofe after Rubens, are much 

 fought after. He exercifed his art both on portraits and 

 hiftory ; and the following is a felection of his moft merito- 

 rious engravings : 



Portraits. — Peter Aretin; Nicolas Coffin ; ThomasaKem- 

 pis ; Ferdinand Cortez ; Amerigo Vefpucci ; and Francis 

 de Malherbe ; all of quarto fize, and without the names of 

 the painters. Michael Boudwyns, a phyfician of Antwerp ; 

 William Cavendifti, duke of Newcaftle, on horfeback, both 

 in folio, from Diepenbeck ; Chriftopher Vander Lamen, a 

 painter of Antwerp ; Theodore Rogiers, a goldfmith of 

 Antwerp ; Charles Scribanius, a Jefuit of Antwerp ; Ann 

 Wacke, holding a plume of feathers ; and Henry Rich, 

 count of Holland ; all after Vandyke, in folio. 



Hiflorical, i^c. after various Majters " The Defcent from 



the Crofs," from Rubens, in large folio ; " The Epitaph 

 of Rubens," in folio ; « The Death of St. Antony," a 

 fine and irare print, in large folio ; " St. Michael vanquifti- 

 ing the Devil," in foho ; " A Converfation between feveral 

 Lovers in a Garden :" the beft impreffions have Flemifti 

 verfes beneatli, but thofe with French are likewii'e much 

 fought after. This converfation piece is a very fine and 

 rare print, in large folio. A ftanding female figure, in 

 folio ; a winterfcape, with a cottage, and the fnow falling, 

 belonging to a fet of fix, the other five of which were 

 engraved by S. Bolfwert, all after Rubens. " The Vir- 

 gin luckling the Infant Chrift," after Vandyke, in large 

 folio ; and " A Party at Table," where the mafter and 

 miftrefi are crowned with laurel ; " The Family of the 

 Duke of Newcafte," after Diepenbeck, in folio. 



Albert Clowet, or Clouet, was born at Antwerp in the 



year 1624. He was nephew to the preceding artift, and 



went to Italy to ftudy under C. Bloemaert. During hit 



refidence at Rome he engraved a confiderable number of 



3 R plates. 



