Cornelis Gravezande, Physician
Artist
Abraham Blooteling (Dutch, 1634 – 1690)
after :
Jan Verkolje (Dutch, 1650 – 1693)
Date
Circa 1680Medium
MezzotintDimensions
Sheet/image : 13 1/4 x 10 1/4 in. (33.66 x 26.04 cm)Credit Line
Hope College CollectionObject Number
2020.8.1
Label
Abraham Blooteling played a major role in the development of mezzotint printmaking in both the Netherlands and England during the late 17th century. Blooteling first developed his skills as a mezzotint printmaker while working in Amsterdam with Wallerant Vaillant in the late 1660s. In 1672, Blooteling moved to London where he established a workshop that specialized in reproducing the painted portraits of English aristocrats. In England, Blooteling continued to refine the mezzotint technique, creating denser plate grounds that allowed for greater tonal range, and developing new scraping techniques that created sharper definition in his images. He also separated the plate preparation and image making processes, which sped up production and increased his studio’s printmaking capacity. Blooteling returned to Amsterdam sometime around 1680, but continued to work for both English and Dutch patrons until his death in 1690. This print from near the end of Blooteling’s life reproduces a painted portrait by Jan Verkolje of the eminent Dutch anatomist Cornelis Gravezande (1631-1691).
