Bowdoin College Museum of Art | - John VIII Paleologus (Johannes VII Paleologus)

Preview image of work. engraving on cream laid paper, John VIII Paleologus (Johannes VII Paleologus) 19042

2009.16.314

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John VIII Paleologus (Johannes VII Paleologus)

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Artist

Jacques de Gheyn, II (Jacob de Gheyn, II) (Antwerp, Belgium, 1565 - 1629, London, United Kingdom)

Title

John VIII Paleologus (Johannes VII Paleologus)

Creation Date

ca. 1595

Century

late 16th century

Dimensions

6 3/4 in. x 5 7/8 in. (17.15 cm x 14.92 cm)

Object Type

Creation Place

Europe, Netherlands

Medium and Support

engraving on cream laid paper

Credit Line

Gift of Charles Pendexter

Copyright

Public Domain

Accession Number

2009.16.314

Dutch painter and engraver Jacques de Gheyn belonged to a group of artists who overcame the exaggerated and overly artificial formal vocabulary of Dutch Mannerism by adopting a naturalist style based on observation. De Gheyn’s engravings of portrait medals, like this example of Paleologus, indicate his interest in naturalism and demonstrate his ability to accurately reproduce the proportions of his sitters’ facial characteristics. De Gheyn’s engraving of Paleologus closely follows the Pisanello portrait medal. It includes similar features of Paleologus’s profile, including his hat, hair, nose arch, and pointed beard. In addition to the visual similarities, there are also similarities between the media of the works. The production of both medals and engravings involves the application of significant amounts of pressure onto metal. However, the most significant overlapping quality is the reproducible nature of both medals and engravings, allowing for wide dissemination of each portrait.