Lucas Vorsterman II's engraving, “Lucas Vorstermans”, c.1643, after Van Dyck

Lucas Vorsterman II (1624–fl.1666)

“Lucas Vorstermans [the Elder]”, 1640–45, after the painting in the Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga in Lisbon of the engraver’s father that was executed in around 1631 by Anthony van Dyck (aka Anton van Dyck; Anthony van Dijck; Anthoni van Dijck; Antoon van Dijk) (1599–1641), from the series, “Icones Principum Virorum”, published by Lucas Vorsterman II in Antwerp. The Curator of the BM advises regarding this print that “the copper-plate is kept in the Chalcographie, Musée du Louvre, inv.no.2373” (see BM inv. no. P,3.277).

The Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga offers the following description of Van Dyck’s painting of Vorsterman the Elder:

“Probably painted immediately after Vosterman’s return to Antwerp, in 1630, after some time spent in England, the portrait not only gives us an image of the engraver with the veil of melancholy that characterised his whole existence, but, by also affording him a rather haughty expression, Van Dyck fully encapsulates the artist’s new social status”

(http://museudearteantiga.pt/collections/european-painting/portrait-of-lucas-vosterman-the-elder).

Etching and engraving on laid paper trimmed with a narrow margin around the platemark, with replenished losses to the lower corners and backed on a support sheet.

Size: (sheet) 26 x 18.4 cm; (plate) 25.3 x 17.9 cm; (image borderline) 22.2 x 17.5 cm.

Lettered on plate below the image borderline: (lower left corner) “Ant. van Dÿck pinxit.”; (centre) “LVCAS VORSTERMANS / Desine Lysippos iactare animosa vetustas / Hic Vir, hic excudit spirantia mollius æra. LL” (transl. “Proud antiquity, boast no more of Lysippus and his kind, more subtly does this man’s burin breathe life into copper”); (lower right corner) “Luc. Vorstermans iunior sculpsit et excudit.”

State iv (of v) with lettered publication details.

Mauquoy-Hendrickx 1991 166.IV; New Hollstein (Dutch & Flemish) 174.IV (Van Dyck) (Simon Turner [comp.] 2002, “The New Hollstein: Dutch and Flemish Etchings, Engravings and Woodcuts 1450–1700: Anthony van Dyck”, vol. III, Rotterdam, Sound and Vision, p. 196, cat. no. 174); van Someren 1888 5949; Hollstein 87.IV (Vorsterman) (Christiaan Schuckman [comp.] 1993, “Dutch and Flemish Etchings, Engravings and Woodcuts ca. 1450–1700: Alexander Voet I to Anthonie de Vos”, vol 42, Roosendaal, Koninklijke Van Poll Rijksprentenkabinet, p. 143, cat. no. 87).

The British Museum offers the following description of this print:
“Portrait of Lucas Vorsterman I, half-length [turned] to right but looking towards the viewer, with long hair, a beard and moustache, wearing a collar and large cloak draped forward at the front; fourth, lettered state, finished, with monogram in lower right corner; after Anthony van Dyck Engraving”

(https://research.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=1430348&partId=1&searchText=VORSTERMANs&page=1).

Condition: richly inked and well-printed impression showing no sign of wear to the printing plate, trimmed with a narrow margin around the around the platemark, with replenished losses to the lower corners and laid upon a support sheet of archival (millennium quality) washi paper.

I am selling this superb engraving of the engraver’s father—a revealing portrait from a low viewpoint that casts the subject as a somewhat handsome but haughty man—for AU$330 in total (currently US$221.58/EUR204.36/GBP170.05 at the time of posting this listing) including postage and handling to anywhere in the world (but not, of course, any import duties/taxes imposed by some countries).

If you are interested in purchasing exceptionally fine portrait—note how the engraver has used rectangular highlights on Vorsterman’s eyes that (to me) suggest an analytically penetrating gaze and how his moustache is sprung with unsettling curves in different directions—please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.

This print has been sold