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Egbert van Panderen

(circa 1580 Haarlem – 1637 Antwerp?)

Christ with Globe and the Virgin Mary. Two engravings after Pieter Feddes von Harlingen. Each approx. 46.0 x 32.2 cm. Hollstein 16, 17. Watermark: Crowned double eagle.


Not much is known about the life of the engraver and draughtsman, Egbert van Panderen, apart from the fact that he hailed from Haarlem and probably died in Antwerp. He mostly engraved religious scenes after Antwerp artists such as Pieter de Jode, Otto van Veen, Rubens and Cornelis de Vos and was a member of the city’s Guild of St. Luke from 1606. He is thought to have returned to the Netherlands in 1609.

The inscription on the present portrayals of Christ with the Globe and The Virgin Mary, which were designed as companion pieces, indicates that they were based on an invention of Pieter Feddes van Harlingen (1586 Harlingen – circa 1634), a painter and etcher from Friesland. The publisher of the present prints, the engraver Johannes Eillarts (born circa 1568–70, traceable up to 1612) came from the same province. He was a descendant of an aristocratic family and a friend of Feddes, who may have been his pupil. It can be assumed that both engravings were done shortly after van Panderen returned to the Netherlands. Christ and Mary, who are shown in half-length, radiate a remarkably strong physical presence.

No less impressive is van Panderen’s consummate skill as an engraver. The sumptuous folds, the hands, faces and wavy hair are very sharply defined and of a metallic clarity that highlights the advantages of the burin technique. A celestial halo surrounds the faces of Christ and Mary; a dense network of parallel hatchings forms a neutral background enabling the intensity of the light to gradually diminish. Of great graphic finesse is Christ’s aureole, which van Panderen’s engraving technique has transformed into an abstract geometrical pattern, thus giving the depiction a fascination all of its own. 


Brilliant, contrasting early impressions with the full margins; the auxiliary lines for the inscription are quite distinct. The address of Joannes Messager recorded by Hollstein is probably characteristic for a later edition than the present one. Slightly discoloured and foxed, minor handling traces, otherwise in mint condition.

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