Antique 17th Century Engraving: The Hypnotic Self Portait of Lucas Van Leyden Engraved by Andries Jacobsz. Stock (1580-1648) Edited by Rombout Van Den Hoeye (1622-1671)

A rare original 17th Century engraving of Lucas van Leyden's emblematic 1628-29 self portait, engraved by Andries Jacobsz. Stock (1580-1648), as published by Rombout van den Hoeye (1622-1671)

It measures 219 x 167 mm, has cropped margins and is mounted on to board. Framed.

Andries Jacobsz. Stock was an engraver who worked during the first half of the 17th century, primarily in The Hague. All of his known work is after designs by other artists. Much of his work was published by the artist and publisher Hendrick Hondius I (1573-1650). Little is known about Stock’s early life. Scholars believe he was born in Antwerp sometime between 1572 and 1582. His earliest known works are a series of The Seasons, after engravings Jan Sadeler I (1550-1600) and his brother Rafael (ca. 1560-ca. 1628) made after Jacopo Bassano (ca. 1510-1592), and published by Hondius in 1601. Stock’s stiff and undistinguished style changed for the better around 1610. Scholars attribute the change to the influence of Jacques de Gheyn II (1565-1629) based on stylistic similarities to de Gheyn’s work, particularly his drawings, and conclude that Stock was probably de Gheyn’s pupil for a period of time before 1610. Stock engraved several prints after designs by de Gheyn during the decade beginning in 1610, which were published by Hondius in The Hague and Nicolaes de Clerck (active 1599-1621) in Delft. Stock was one of the engravers working for Hondius in 1610, when he contributed five plates to the series Pictorum aliquot celebrium praecipuae germaniae inferioris effigies, 68 portraits of artists Hondius published that year. In 1613 Stock joined the artists’ Guild of St. Luke, employed Jacob Verborch (?-?) as an apprentice, and became engaged to Jannitgen Adriaens (witnessed by de Gheyn). He also sold several impressions of two portrait engravings that year to the magistrates of The Hague, described as portraits of the Prince of Orange and the Duke of Brandenburg (perhaps Holl. 20 and 30). He sold engraved portraits to the States General of the Netherlands in 1618 and 1624. Stock continued to work with Hondius until 1638, but after 1626 did more work on his own. Other notable works engraved by Stock and published by Hondius include the series Animal Skeletons of 1626 and portraits of Lucas van Leyden (ca. 1494-1533), Hans Holbein the Younger (1497-1543), Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528) and Desiderius Erasmus (1466-1536) during 1628 and 1629. Stock became prosperous; a tax record from 1627 shows his assets appraised at 6,000 guilders. By comparison, Hondius’s assets were appraised at 10,000 guilders. Stock also engraved illustrations for books, including three plates after Adriaen van de Venne (1589-1662) for the emblem book by the author and statesman Jacob Cats (1577-1660), Spiegel van den ouden ende nieuvven tijdt (Mirror of Old and New Times), published in 1632. Stock was still living in The Hague in 1641, when he was listed as one of the debtors to the estate of the painter Michiel van Mierevelt (1567-1641). About this time Stock was arrested in Amsterdam for counterfeiting, but was pardoned by the Statholder in 1642. Stock continued to work late in his life; he engraved the portrait of the Flemish painter Pieter Snayers (1592-1667, MH 98) after Anthony Van Dyck (1599-1641) for the portrait series The Iconography, published before 1645. Stock is recorded as traveling to Antwerp in 1645, returning to The Hague in 1647. He died sometime after 1648, probably in The Hague.

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