Portrait of Jean Niquet at the Age of 56, Hendrick Goltzius, 1595
This print clearly demonstrates Hendrick Goltzius’s talent for portrait engraving. Every virtuoso line, stroke and dot contribute to the almost life-like depiction of Jean Niquet. The portrait must have been commissioned and was probably engraved in a silver plate. For the art lover Niquet, the plate was most likely a treasured object, but not the most important aspect of the commission. The impressions of the print bearing the extensive eulogy were paramount.