LOW COUNTRIES, ENGRAVERS OF THE. 



Leo van Altzcma, a Dutch hillorian, after J. de Bane, in 

 lari;e folio ; and George de JNIey, a celebrated theologian, 

 after Coan Diemen, in folio. 



Hijlorkal, Isfc. — "Neptune," a quarto plate, engraved 

 from Bary's own conipofition. An allegorical litlc page 

 to a work by Leo van Aitzenea, after Seemer, in folio. A 

 woman fuckling an infant, without the painter's name, ai:d 

 perhaps dcfigned by himfelf. A pair of peafantry, in quarto, 

 after A. Brouwer ; the country houfe-keeper, after P. van 

 Aerften, in fulio. A pair, intitled " Take Care of the 

 Water!" and "Wine makes the People infolent," after 



F. Mieris, each infcribed alfo with four Dutch verfes, in 

 folio ; and " A Youth dreffed in a Hat and Feathers," after 



G. Terburgh, alfo in folio. 



John Munnickhuvfen, or Munichuyfen, was a native of 

 Fiiedand, born A. D. 1636. He relided at Flanders, and 

 executed a conliderable. number of meritorious works with 

 the nrraver, among which are the following 



Portraits of Hendrick Dirckfen Spiegel, a burgo-mafter, 

 a very fine engraving, from J. M,. Limburg ; Francis Bur- 

 mann', profeflbr of theology at Utrecht, from C. Maas ; 

 Gerard Brandt, preacher at Rotterdam, from iVI. Mufcher, 

 all in folio ; Peter Zurendonk, rector of the Ljtin fchool 

 of Amfterdam, from David Plaats, in large folio ; John 

 van Wayen, preacher at Middleburg ; Daniel Gravi, a 

 clergyman of the fame place, from Z. I51yhof, both in large 

 folio ; Peter van Staveren, a clergyman of Ley den, from 

 Wilhelm van Mieris, in folio ; admiral Van Tromp, of 

 Holland, a fine portrait, from D. A. Piaffe, in large folio ; 

 and the companion to Bary's "Spring and Summer;" 

 reprefenting "Autumn and Winter," perfonified by chil- 

 dren, after Vandyke. 



Hercules Zeghers, or Zegers, was born at Utreciit in 

 the year 1625. He is fpoken of by the author of " Lives 

 of the Dutch Painters, &c." (Defchamps), as having been 

 an artift of fertile invention, but an unfortunate exemplifica- 

 tion of the fcriptural text, that " the race is not to the 

 fvvift, nor the battle to the ftrong, nor riches to men of un- 

 derftanding, nor favour to men of flcill." 



He both painted and engraved landfcape. The above 

 writer fays, that his compolitions are very rich, and much 

 yaried ; and that he commonly reprefcnted very extenfive 

 fcenes, with far diilant horizons, but met with no patronage 

 or encouragement. Nor was he a whit more fortunate, in 

 this refpeft, in his etchings, which foon ilTued forth from 

 tlie retail fhops, as wrappers to other commodities. 



The prefent writer has not feen any of the works of 

 Zeghers, and is inclined to think that Defrhamps may have 

 overrated his merits. It is not eafy to jelicve that at 

 Utrecht, in the feventeenth century, good prints would 

 have been depreciated to the value of wafte paper ; or if 

 a foiitary inftance or fo, of fuch depreciat-on had occurred, 

 that very circumftance would have advanced meritorious en- 

 gravings to fome public notice, which mufl have led towards 

 appreciation, and have finally benefited the arlill, however 

 obfcure, in fpite of the crafty practices of the print-dealers. 



That Defchamps was not very obfervant as a connoiffeur, 

 nor very correct as a writer, may be inferred from his ftate- 

 mcnt, that Zeghers d'tfcovered the fccret of printing in 

 colours upon canvas : where, for difcovered the fecret, we 

 fliould read, had recourfe to the expedient ; and for canvas, 

 according to the baron Heinneken, we fnould read paper. 



The concluding anecdotes related of this artiit are pro- 

 bablv more worthy of credit and of regret. Hercules made 

 a laft, and, according to Delchamp^, a ftupendous effort, 

 ipanng neither time nor pains, nor any kind of exertion of 

 which he was capable, and produced an admirable land- 



fcape, of which he offered th* engraved plate for fale to a 

 print-dealer. The dealer advifeii him to convert his plate 

 into fnufT-boxes ; and the ar'.ift heard with indignation that 

 he would purchafe ic at no higher rate tiian the value of the 

 copper. Zeghers took back his landfcape, and, vowing 

 that each impreflion fhould fell for as much as the dealer had 

 offered for the plate, deilroyed his engraving in a paroxyfm 

 of difappointment. The artift thus verified his vow, and 

 the dealer loft his bargain ; but two proofs had been taken 

 from the plate, and they were purchafed at the price of 

 fixteen ducats each. 



Nothing certain, however, can be inferred from thi.<! 

 anecdote, without feeing one of the two imprefTions from this 

 plate, or hearing fome more faithful report of its merits 

 tiian Defchamps appears to have been qualified to give ; 

 fince we know not who were the purchafcrs : and the ig- 

 norant part of the tribe of collectors, will often freely giie 

 thofe funis for rarity, which they withhold from meritoriotis 

 exertion. 



Unable longer to endure the fcorn and the negledt with 

 which he was treated by the dealers and the public, this un- 

 fortunate artift addicted himfelf to drinking ; and, one day 

 returning to his houfe in a ftate of intoxication, fell down 

 ftairs, and fo materially injured himfelf that he died in a few 

 hours. 



It is almoft fuperfluous to add, that tlie works of Zeghers 

 arc very fcarce. In the public hall at Drefden are fifteen of 

 his pictures ; and another is mentioned by Houbracken, 

 vol. ii. p. 136. 



Gerard Vaick, the fervant, and afterwards the brother- 

 in-law, of Bloteling, was born at Amfterdam in the year 

 1626. But both thefe grtills migrated to England; and 

 the reader will find an account of them, and their works, in 

 our account of the Origin and Progrefs of English En- 

 graving. 



Cornelius van Dalen the younger was born at Antwerp 

 in the year 1626. He was the fon of a print-feller of the 

 fame baptifmal name, and, out of diftindtion, always added 

 the word junior to his name. He is faid to have learned en- 

 graving of Cornelius VifTcher ; but his ftyle varied front 

 time to time, refembling, as occafion appeared to him to 

 reqiiire, thofe of Lucas Vorfterman, P. Pontius, S. Bolf- 

 wert, and other mafters. A fet of antique ftatues, en- 

 graved by him, are in a bold, free ftyle, as if founded upon 

 that of Goltzius : others, again, feem imitations of that of 

 F. de Poilly. In all thefe different manners he has fuc- 

 ceeded ; and they manifeft the extraordinary verfatility of 

 his powers, and great command he had of the graver : for 

 he worked with that inftrument only. 



He engraved a great variety of portraits, fome of which 

 are very valuable, and form the beft, as well as the larger 

 part of his works. He did not fucceed fo well in drawing 

 the naked parts of the human figure : his outlines are heavy, 

 and frequently incorre£l ; and the extremities, the feet efpe- 

 cially, are feldom weU marked. The following are feleCted 

 from his beft engravings : 



Portraits. — Queen Catherine of Medicis, feated, a very- 

 fine engraving, in large fo'io ; Francis Deleboe Sylvius, a 

 phyfician, C. V. Dalen del. ; John Ruppert van Groenen- 

 dyck, the burgomafter of Leyden ; Jacob Baudes Heertoot 

 WafTenaer, lieutenant and admiral ; the old, old, very old 

 man, Thomas Parr, aged one hundred and fifty-two, all of 

 large folio fize ; Efaias Dupre, the theologian, from D. 

 Baudrigeen ; Anna Maria Schierman, with fix Latin verfes, 

 after Van Ceulen ; Andrea Rivetus, profeffor of theology ; 

 Frederic Spanheim, from Van Negre, profeflbr of theology, 

 all in folio ; James, duke of York and Albany, from Si-n. 

 •^ T 3 LutticTinys j 



