Hans Witdoeck
Hans Witdoeck or Jan Witdoeck (Alternative spellings of last name: Witdoek and Witdouc)[1] (Antwerp, baptized 8 December 1615 - probably Antwerp, after 1642) was a Flemish engraver, draughtsman and art dealer.
He was a pupil of the engraver Lucas Vorsterman in the years 1630-1631. The three-year training contract was broken after two years at the instigation of the father of Hans Witdoek. He then trained for two years with the painter Cornelis Schut who introduced him to painting. Witdoek also made engravings for Cornelis Schut, usually of a small size. He subsequently trained with Rubens to learn the engraving of larger plates. After the death of Rubens in 1640, he worked mainly as an art dealer. Since there is no information about him following his marriage to Catherina Gommaerts on 24 June 1642, it is presumed that he died shortly afterwards.[2]
In his early engravings he made for Cornelis Schut, Witdoeck followed a traditional style similar to that of Cornelis Galle. His style became more fluid while he worked at Rubens' workshop where he produced his best work.
References
Bibliography
- A. MICHIELS, Histoire de la peinture Flamande, 8 (1869), pp. 382, 387.
- A. MICHEL, Histoire de l’art, 6 (1922), 856f.
- W. KLOEK, Beknopte catalogus van de Nederlandse tekeningen in het Prentenkabinet van de Uffizi te Florence, Utrecht, 1975, nrs 624–6.
- I. POHLEN, Untersuchungen zur Reproduktionsgraphik der Rubenswerkstatt, München, 1985, pp. 130–40, 283–301.