Wednesday, September 28, 2016

Artist Portraits from the Widow of Hieronymus Cock

Widow of Hieronymus Cock
Title page - Portraits of Celebrated Artists of Lower Germany
1572
letterpress
British Museum

Two years after the death of Hieronymus Cock in 1570, his widow successfully completed a project he had been working on  the commissioning and printing of a collection of artist-portraits, with appropriate verses. All the subjects were from Flanders or the Netherlands and all had died within the past century. This collection is now seen as an early step toward formation of a canon of artistic accomplishment for the Low Countries that endures even today. A selection of the portraits (about half the total) appears below.

Widow of Hieronymus Cock
Portrait of Pieter Bruegel
1572
engraving
British Museum

Widow of Hieronymus Cock
Portrait of Frans Floris
1572
engraving
British Museum

Widow of Hieronymus Cock
Portrait of Joachim Patinir
1572
engraving
British Museum

Widow of Hieronymus Cock
Portrait of Jan van Eyck
1572
engraving
British Museum

Widow of Hieronymus Cock
Portrait of Hubert van Eyck
1572
engraving
British Museum

Widow of Hieronymus Cock
Portrait of Dirck Bouts
1572
engraving
British Museum

Widow of Hieronymus Cock
Portrait of Hieronymus Bosch
1572
engraving
British Museum

Widow of Hieronymus Cock
Portrait of Joost van Cleve
1572
engraving
British Museum

Widow of Hieronymus Cock
Portrait of Rogier van der Weyden
1572
engraving
British Museum

Widow of Hieronymus Cock
Portrait of Pieter Coecke
1572
engraving
British Museum

Widow of Hieronymus Cock
Portrait of Jan Cornelisz. Vermeyen
1572
engraving
British Museum

Widow of Hieronymus Cock
Portrait of Quinten Metsys
1572
engraving
British Museum

Widow of Hieronymus Cock
Portrait of Herri met de Bles
1572
engraving
British Museum

The portrait of Herri met de Bles features a tiny niche set into the wall behind the sitter. This niche is occupied by a tiny owl, casting its own complete and tiny shadow. Though subject to the same light source, owl and human gaze in almost-opposite directions and appear unaware of each other.

I am grateful to the British Museum for making these images available.