Portret van Jacob de Wilde op 56-jarige leeftijd

About this artwork

collector's mark: Lugt 2228

Art Historical Context

Behold Pieter van den Berge's *Portret van Jacob de Wilde 56-jarige leeftijd*Portrait of Jacob de Wilde at 56), a delicate etching from 1701. This intimate work, measuring just 209 mm high by 160 mm wide, captures Dutch scholar and collector in a moment of poised maturity. Van den Berge, a skilled engraver active in the during the transition from the Golden Age to the early 18th century, specialized in precise portrait prints that brought notable figures to a wider audience. Etching the medium here, was a revolutionary intaglio technique popular among Dutch artists for its fluid lines and tonal depth, achieved by biting acid into a metal plate. This allowed for affordable reproductions of high-society portraits, reflecting the era's booming print culture and fascination with personal legacy. Jacob de Wilde, depicted at 56, embodies the intellectual elite of Amsterdam, where collecting art and antiquities flourished amid prosperous trade. The print bears Lugt 2228, a collector's mark from Frits Lugt's renowned catalog, hinting at its esteemed provenance through generations of connoisseurs. A testament to enduring artistic craft, this piece invites us to ponder the faces behind history's treasures.

About the Artist

Pieter van den Berge · 1669–1769

Pieter van den Berge (1659–1737) was a Dutch draughtsman, printmaker, and publisher whose long career spanned the late Dutch Golden Age into the early 18th century. Born in 1659, likely in Amsterdam, van den Berge worked as an engraver, visual artist, editorial curator, and draughtsman during a period when Dutch printmaking was transitioning from the heights of the Golden Age into new commercial a...