Henry Matthias, Count of Thurn and Taxis
Medium
Engraving in black on paper
Classification
etching
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
108960
Art Historical Context
Step into the elegant world of 17th-century portraiture with *Henry Matthias, Count of Th and Taxis*, a 1625 etching by artist Willem Jacobsz. Delff. Created as an engraving in black on paper this work captures the young nobleman from the illustrious Thurn und Taxis, renowned across Europe for managing the Holy Roman Empire's postal services vital network that connected courts, merchants, and news during an era of political upheaval. Delff, a skilled engraver from Leiden active in the Dutch Golden Age, excelled in producing detailed reproductive prints that made elite portraits accessible bey...
About the Artist
Willem Jacobsz. Delff · 1580–1638
Willem Jacobsz. Delff (c. 1580–1638) was a Dutch Golden Age engraver and painter whose portrait engravings provide an invaluable visual record of early 17th-century Dutch society. Born around October 1580 in Delft, Willem came from an artistic family and trained under his father, Jacob Willemsz. Delff the Elder, himself a painter. Willem's marriage to Geertruid van Mierevelt, daughter of the renow...