Regnier Hansloe, an Anabaptist Minister, and His Wife (Cornelis Claesz Anslo and His Wife Aeltje Gerritsdr Schouten)
Original title: Regnier Hansloe, an Anabaptist Minister, and His Wife (Cornelis Claesz Anslo and His Wife Aeltje Gerritsdr Schouten)
kurzbeschreibung
Josiah Boydell's 1781 print reproduces a double portrait: the Anabaptist preacher Regnier Hansloe with his wife. Executed as an etching and mezzotint, it is the second of two states and derives from a seventeenth-century painting. The two figures appear in an intimate interior.
Description
A man in a wide-brimmed hat and a dark, fur-trimmed jacket sits on a chair, his right hand making a gesture. Facing him, a woman in a conventional head covering and dark gown has taken her place. A wall sconce with a candle provides light; behind it, curtains and a window come into view. On the table between them lie books and a sheet of paper. The entire arrangement remains in shades of grey.
Context
Boydell worked from a painting by Rembrandt showing the Mennonite preacher Cornelis Claesz Anslo with his wife. The date 1 May 1781 falls in an era when reproductive printmaking brought works by old masters to a wider public. The title's reference to Regnier Hansloe rests on a misattribution of the time.
Impact
Candlelight and the man's hand movement contribute to a quiet, intimate mood. Because the print works solely in grey tones, the expressions and the dialogue between the two figures come to the fore; the view thus gains a narrative and lively quality.
Technique
Etching and mezzotint interlock: the etching supplies the fine lines, the mezzotint the soft tonal gradations. In the second state the plate appears reworked, sharpening details and contrasts. The print is on paper; the plate mark measures about 44.4 × 53.2 cm.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)