Title Page for Stephanus Simonini, Silvae Urbaninae
Medium
engraving on laid paper
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
William B. O'Neal Fund
Accession Number
1996.78.62
Art Historical Context
Welcome to the National Gallery of, where we spotlight *Title Page for Stephanus Simonini Silvae Urbaninae*1637), an exquisite engraving on laid paper by Cornelis I after a design by Sir Peter Paul Rubens. This print served as the grand frontispiece for a book of Latin poems by Stephanus Simon, likely celebrating pastoral or urban themes in the "Silvae Urban" tradition—evoking wooded groves amid city life, a nod to classical Roman poetry. Rubens, the preeminent Flemish Baroque master, was renowned for his dynamic compositions, rich textures, and theatrical energy, hallmarks of the Baroque sty...
About the Artist
Cornelis Galle I after Sir Peter Paul Rubens
Cornelis Galle I, born in 1576 in Antwerp as the younger son of the renowned engraver and publisher Philip Galle, received his foundational training under his father, mastering the meticulous techniques of line engraving in the family workshop. Following this apprenticeship, Galle journeyed to Italy around 1597, residing in Siena, Rome, and Genoa until approximately 1603. There, he studied works b...