← Wenceslaus Hollar

Bishop Jan van Malderus (Malderen)

Original title: Bishop Jan van Malderus (Malderen)

Artist

Wenceslaus Hollar

Date

1645

Medium

Etching; first state of three

Dimensions

Sheet: 10 7/16 × 7 7/8 in. (26.5 × 20 cm) cut on and fractionally within the platemark at top

Credit line

Gift of Georgiana W. Sargent, in memory of John Osborne Sargent, 1924

kurzbeschreibung

Wenceslaus Hollar etched Bishop Jan van Malderus (Malderen) in 1645. This first of three states shows the churchman in official vestments with a cap and cross pendant, seated before a columned backdrop.

Description

The bishop sits on a chair with columns suggesting a church interior. Over his priestly robe he wears a cap and a cross pendant. His gaze is serious and withdrawn; his right hand holds a book or a glove. A Latin text field at the bottom names him and his office as Bishop of Antwerp.

Context

The inscription identifies Jan van Malderus as Bishop of Antwerp. The Bohemian printmaker Wenceslaus Hollar made the portrait in 1645 while working in England and Flanders. Church dignitaries often commissioned etchings at the time to spread their likeness. That only the first of three states survives points to an early version that was later reworked.

Impact

The serious expression and calm posture give the portrait a dignified, thoughtful presence. Clear lines and a symmetrical layout create a formal, respectful feel that suits the sitter's spiritual authority.

Technique

For this etching, lines were incised into a metal plate and bitten with acid. It was printed on paper; the sheet measures 26.5 × 20 cm. Starting from the first of three states, the plate underwent further changes after this impression.

AI-generated description text

Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)