VISSCHER, CORNELIS, Portrait of Floris II

Beschrijving

'Florentius IIus, cognomento Crassus'. Oval portrait of Floris II (ca. 1085 – 1121), was the first to actually be called Count of Holland, and reigned until 1091. He was nicknamed Floris the Fat.

Etching and engraving on laid paper. Sheet size 305 x 416 mm., platemark 294 x 407 mm. Made by Cornelis Visscher. Number XI in the top edge of the image.

The work 'Principes Hollandiae et Westfrisiae', written by Petrus Scriverius, was published in 1650 by Pieter Soutman in Haarlem, and contained a total of 38 portraits of the Counts of Holland, from the year 863 onward.

In good condition, cropped close to the platemark. Two small, dark stains in the far right edge of the image area. Original middle fold flattened out.

Petrus Scriverius (1576 – 1660), the latinised form of Peter Schrijver, was a Dutch author and scholar on the history of the Low Countries, as well as classical literature.

References: Hollstein 77-116; Smith 146-185.