Cartographers Portrait
Martin Hermann Faber was a German painter, architect, and cartographer. He was also a copper engraver in Rome. He lived and worked most of his life in Emden, where he still remains one of the most respected and significant artistic personalities of the city.
Frans Hogenberg was a Flemish and German painter, engraver, and mapmaker. He is known for portraits and topographical views as well as historical allegories. He also produced scenes of contemporary historical events. Hogenberg was the author of graphic works, engravings of city views and maps of the first four volumes of the six-volume atlas Theatrum Orbis Terrarum (Description and drawings of the most famous cities in the world), published in 1570 by the Flemish geographer Abraham Ortelius. Hogenberg's engravings are an invaluable source of information about urban development in medieval Europe.
Hendrik Hondius I was a Flemish-born and trained engraver, cartographer, and publisher who settled in the Dutch Republic in 1597. Hondius was apprenticed in Brussels to Godfried van Ghelder, goldsmith to Alexander Farnese, Duke of Parma. He also studied drawing with the engraver Jan Wierix of Antwerp. At this time he started to study engraving. He applied himself to mathematics and studied perspective, architecture and the construction of fortifications. He moved to The Hague by 1597. He obtained his first print privilege for a portrait of Prince Maurits. He dedicated himself to his engraving practice. His work was very well received and he got commissions from many eminent personalities for engravings or drawings. He turned more to publishing rather than engraving and printing in the 1630s. His publications were mainly maps, books about fortifications and official portraits.[5] He also reused original plates and blocks by earlier artists for reprinting and such reprints represented almost a third of his publishing output. In the 1640s he returned to printing concentrating exclusively on etching. One of the most important publications of Hondius was the work Pictorum aliquot celebrium praecipue Germaniae inferioris Effigies (Effigies of some celebrated painters, chiefly of Lower Germany) of 1610, which was a collection of 69 portraits of mainly Netherlandish artists.
Conrad Meyer, a Swiss painter, engraver, and medallist, made significant contributions to the art world of his time. Initially a painter of portraits and landscapes, Meyer eventually shifted his focus to copper engraving, producing over a thousand works in his lifetime. Notable among his creations is the map of Switzerland by Conrad Gyger, which he produced in 1657, and his Planisphaerium Coeleste from 1681.
Conrad Meyer's artworks, such as "The Wild Man" (1649), "The Devil's Kitchen Visited by an Angel," and "Allegory of the Transience of Life" (1651), showcase his meticulous technique and are held in high regard, with several pieces housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. His work "Parable of the Ungrateful Servant" is part of the Philadelphia Museum of Art's collection, demonstrating his prowess in etching as well.
For art collectors and experts, Conrad Meyer's contributions to Swiss art and engraving offer valuable insights into the 17th-century European art scene, particularly in the context of Zurich. His legacy is encapsulated in the diverse range of subjects he explored, from detailed landscapes to intricate portraits and allegorical scenes, reflecting the cultural and artistic vibrancy of his era.
If you are an enthusiast or collector keen on Conrad Meyer's art, consider signing up for updates related to new sales and auction events concerning his works. This will ensure you stay informed about opportunities to acquire pieces connected to this notable Swiss artist.
Johann Carl Schleich the Elder was a German engraver. On the basis of paintings he created engraving portraits of famous contemporaries, made topographical works. His son, Johann Carl Schleich the Younger, was also an engraver.
