1811.135
Design for a Title Page
Artist
Abraham Jansz. van Diepenbeeck
(s Hertogenbosch, Netherlands, 1596 - 1675, Antwerp, Belgium)
Title
Design for a Title Page
Creation Date
1640-1675
Century
16th-17th century
Dimensions
13 1/2 in. x 8 13/16 in. (34.3 cm. x 22.4 cm.)
Object Type
drawing
Creation Place
Europe, Flanders, Flanders
Medium and Support
pen and brown ink and black chalk heightened with white on two sheets paper
Credit Line
Bequest of the Honorable James Bowdoin III
Copyright
Public Domain
Accession Number
1811.135
Diepenbeeck designed this title page for a compendium of laws and regulations of the County of Flanders, compiled by Laurens van den Hane and titled “Costumen van het Graefschap van Vlaenderen.” It was published in Antwerp and Ghent in 1674 with the title page engraved by Cornelis van Caukercken (1626--1680). With more than fifty title pages and book illustrations to his name, van Diepenbeeck catered to the needs of the thriving Antwerp publishing industry. Peter Paul Rubens (1577--1640) had set the example with elaborate title page designs that provided a visual synopsis of the book. Here, Flanders appears personified in the central figure, aided by Common Law on the left and Justice on the right. A putto working on a grindstone is explained with the banderole, “Dark and murky becomes light and clear.”