Goltzius & Co.

Hendrick Goltzius (1558–1617) rose to become the hero of Dutch art in the late 1500s. 

He started his career as an engraver of copper printing plates, developing his skills to mind-boggling perfection, whether working in fine detail or with bravura gesture. Sometimes he engraved his own inventions; sometimes he worked from other artists’ drawings. He also had a remarkable aptitude for inventing new compositions in the style of other artists. 

Goltzius’s skill is yet more remarkable considering a serious childhood accident left him unable to open his dominant right hand. 

This exhibition looks at Goltzius’s mature printmaking and the circle of artists around him who came to rival his talent.

Credit: Overview from museum website