Charles Bonaventure de Longueval

Art Historical Context

Behold the striking portrait *Charles Bonaventure de Longval* (1621), an engraving with etching by Aegidius Sadeler II a masterful Flemish printmaker from a dynasty of engravers active across Europe. Sadeler, working in the refined Mannerist tradition, captured the likeness of this noble figure with remarkable precision on ivory laid paper—a smooth, high-quality support prized for its subtle sheen and ability to hold fine ink lines. Measuring an impressive 40.2 26.5 cm, the sheet invites close inspection, revealing the artist's skill in translating portraiture into enduring print form. Engraving, Sadeler's primary medium, involved incising intricate lines into a copper plate with a burin, while selective etching added softer, fluid tones through acid corrosion. This hybrid technique allowed for rich contrasts, textures in clothing and armor, and expressive facial details, hallmarks of early 17th-century reproductive prints. Such works bridged painting and dissemination, making elite portraits accessible to collectors and patrons during the Baroque era's rise. Housed in the Art Institute of Chicago's Prints and Drawings Department, this piece exemplifies the era's fusion of artistry and portrait diplomacy, preserving Longueval's dignified presence amid Europe's turbulent age of religious wars and shifting alliances. A testament to printmaking's power, it draws us into a world of nobility frozen in ink.

About the Artist

Aegidius Sadeler, II · 1570–1629

Aegidius Sadeler II was born in Antwerp around 1570 into the most distinguished printmaking dynasty of the sixteenth century. The Sadeler family — spanning Jan I, Raphael, and Aegidius I — dominated the European print trade from their Flemish base, and Aegidius II was trained by his uncle Jan Sadeler I, under whom he was listed as a pupil in the records of the Antwerp Guild of St. Luke in 1585. He...