Plate 63- By Crispin van de Passe

• Artist: Crispin van de Passe
• Medium: Copperplate engraving
• Publish Details: Utrecht, 1614-1630. Full hand coloring. From Hortus Floridus
• Measurements: Approx. 11 3/4 x 7 3/4 in. (sheet), 16 x 13 in. (mat)
• Conditions: Very good condition- minor foxing in margins, image is unblemished

Initially working in a style close to that of his father, Crispijn van de Passe the Younger developed during the 1620s a remarkably fine, sketch-like technique with the burin. He became an accomplished portrait engraver, depicting prominent European figures including the French royal couple Louis XIII and Marie de’ Medici, Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange, and leading members of Dutch society such as Gerardus Vossius, Johan van Oldenbarnevelt, and Piet Hein.

In addition to portraits, van de Passe produced engravings of biblical and historical subjects, as well as illustrations for books. Among his notable commissions were 60 engravings for Antoine de Pluvinel’s Maneige royal (Paris, 1623), an influential work on the art of dressage and horsemanship.

His most important contribution to botanical illustration was Hortus Floridus, published in parts between 1614 and 1616. The work contained 160 engravings of flowering plants and was exceptionally successful for its time. Its popularity led to translations and editions in Dutch, French, and English, helping to spread van de Passe’s botanical imagery throughout Europe.