Design for the Epitaph of the 't Seraets-Van Etten family
ca. 1650–75
Medium
Pen and brown ink, black chalk, red chalk, gray wash and heightened in white [oxidized]
Dimensions
Sheet: 9 3/16 × 11 11/16 in. (23.3 × 29.7 cm)
Classification
Drawings|Ornament & Architecture
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Frits and Rita Markus Fund, 2014
Accession Number
2014.658.2
Tags
Art Historical Context
Abraham van Diepenbeeck a prominent Flemish artist of the 17th century associated with Peter Paul Rubens' workshop, created this intricate design around 1650–75 as a preparatory drawing for the epitaph of the ' Seraets-Van E family. Epitaphs like this were elaborate memorial slabs often placed in churches, blending portraiture, heraldry, and architecture to honor deceased families. This sheet captures figures of men and women—likely family members—alongside insignia such as coats of arms, reflecting the era's emphasis on lineage and piety in Baroque art. Executed in a rich mixed-media techniq...