Jan de Bisschop (Amsterdam 1628-1671 The Hague)

Portrait of the Remonstrant Preacher Bartholomeus Praevostius

Details

Jan de Bisschop (Amsterdam 1628-1671 The Hague)
Portrait of the Remonstrant Preacher Bartholomeus Praevostius
with verses by Geeraerdt Brandt written on the backing paper 'Bartholomeus Praevostius, / Remonstrants Predikant t' Amsterdam. / Praevoost, die, ook toen 't licht uit bei zijn ogen zonk, / Gelijk een spiegel van geleerde deugden blonk, / Voor kerk, voor school, voor 't volk, had naar den geest gegeven, / Of Bakker bragt hem na zijn doot door kunst in 't leven. / G. Brandt.' and with inscription 'Bartolomeus Prevost / J. Episco: del.' (verso)
black chalk, brown wash, brown ink framing lines, watermark Strasburg lily
23.1 x 18.7 cm.

Literature

J.G. van Gelder, 'Jan de Bisschop 1628-1671,' Oud Holland, LXXXVI, 1971, p.249, note 4.

Exhibited

Florence, Istituto Universitario Olandese, Mostra: Disegni di Jan de Bisschop detto Giovanni Episcopio, 1971, no. 36.

Brought to you by

Harriet West

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Lot Essay

Bartholomeus Praevostius (1587-1669) was a Remonstrant Minister in Amsterdam who had great influence through his book Onderwijs in de Christelijke religie (Instruction to the Christian religion), which gave guidance to Reformed Christians towards living a pious life. Praevostius was immortalized in a posthumous engraving by Hendrik Bary (1640-1707) after a drawing by Adriaen Backer (1635/36-1684) (Hollstein 6) (Fig. 1). The print carries a text including the quatrain by the poet G. Brandt written on the backing of the drawing.

The drawing by de Bisschop shows the composition of the engraving in reverse, which could indicate that the artist made the work after a lost drawing by Backer and not after the print by Bary.

Fig. 1. Hendrik Bary, engraving, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.

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