Maria of Austria, Infanta of Spain [top half]
1551 to 1600
![Maria of Austria, Infanta of Spain [top half] by Simon de Passe](https://images.artheonmuseum.org/nga/thumb/maria-of-austria-infanta-of-spain-top-half-nga-11793.webp)
Medium
engraving pulled from silver medal engraved by the artist
Dimensions
plate: 5.2 × 4.1 cm (2 1/16 × 1 5/8 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Rosenwald Collection
Accession Number
1943.3.9287.a
Art Historical Context
This delicate engraving, titled *Maria of Austria, Infanta of [top half]*, captures the poised likeness of a prominent Habsburg royal, created by the skilled Dutch engraver Simon de (1595–1647) sometime between 1551 and 1600. Measuring just 5.2 × 4.1 cm, this intimate print reproduces the top portion of a silver medal that de Passe himself engraved, showcasing his mastery in translating three-dimensional sculpture into finely detailed two-dimensional art. Housed in the National Gallery of Art'swald Collection (Department CG-E), it exemplifies the era's printmaking prowess. De Passe, part of a...
About the Artist
Simon de Passe · 1590–1647
Simon de Passe (c. 1595–1647), born in Cologne to the renowned Dutch engraver and publisher Crispijn van de Passe the Elder and his wife Magdalene, grew up in a family dynasty of printmakers who had fled Antwerp due to religious persecution as Anabaptists. The second son among five siblings—four of whom became engravers, including brothers Crispijn II and Willem, and sister Magdalena—he trained un...