Martin Droeshout facts for kids
Martin Droeshout (pronounced "DROO-showt"; born April 1601 – died around 1650) was an English engraver. His family came from Flanders, a region in Europe. He is most famous for creating the portrait of William Shakespeare that appears on the front of the First Folio of 1623. This book was the first collection of Shakespeare's plays, put together by his friends John Heminges and Henry Condell. Even though this portrait is very well known, many people think Droeshout's artistic skills were not the best.
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Life of Martin Droeshout
Martin Droeshout came from a family of engravers who moved to England. They left their home in Flanders to avoid being treated badly for their Protestant beliefs. His father, Michael Droeshout, was also a skilled engraver, and his older brother, John, followed the same profession. Martin's uncle, who was also named Martin Droeshout (born in the 1560s – died around 1642), was a well-known painter. We don't have many direct records about Martin Droeshout's life, apart from his baptism record.
It can be tricky to tell the younger Martin Droeshout's life story apart from his uncle's, since they had the same name. However, experts can usually tell which engravings were made by the younger Martin. They look at his unique style and the way he signed his work.
Even though the Shakespeare portrait is the earliest work we have with a date, Martin Droeshout was likely already an experienced engraver. He might have even created an allegorical print called The Spiritual Warfare before this. Between 1623 and 1632, he made at least 24 engravings in London. These included portraits of people and more complex artworks that told a story using symbols. One of his most detailed works was Doctor Panurgus, which was based on an older engraving by another artist named Matthaeus Greuter.
For a long time, people weren't sure if the engraver "Martin Droeshout" was Michael Droeshout's brother or his son. Most experts now agree it was the younger Martin, the son. However, in 1991, historian Mary Edmund suggested that the uncle, Martin Droeshout the Elder, might have been both a painter and an engraver. She thought that all the engravings might have been done by the elder Martin. But more recent studies by June Schlueter support the idea that the younger Martin Droeshout created these engravings.
Sometime between 1632 and 1635, Droeshout moved to Spain and settled in Madrid. We know this because he signed several engravings there from 1635 to 1640. An art historian named Christiaan Schuckman believes that Droeshout might have changed his religion to Catholicism when he moved to Spain. This is because many of his Spanish artworks show Catholic saints and symbols. His uncle, Martin the Elder, stayed in London and was a strong member of the Dutch Protestant community his whole life.
While in Spain, Droeshout also seemed to change his name to "Droeswoode." The word "hout" means "wood" in Dutch. He might have done this because people in Spain at that time sometimes had negative feelings toward the Dutch. We don't have any records of Droeshout after 1640. He is not mentioned in his brother's will from 1651. This could mean he had passed away by then, or that his family had lost touch with him because of his new religion.
Works by Martin Droeshout
The Shakespeare Portrait
Martin Droeshout was just starting his career as an engraver when he was asked to create the portrait of Shakespeare. Shakespeare had died when Martin was fifteen years old, and Martin was 21 when he got this important job. The engraving was probably based on a painting or drawing that already existed. Since Martin's uncle was a painter, some people think the uncle might have created the original image. This could explain why the younger Martin was chosen to make the engraving.
Some experts believe that the way Shakespeare's jacket and collar are drawn looks a bit awkward. This suggests that Droeshout might have been copying a drawing or painting that only showed Shakespeare's head and shoulders. It was common for engravers to add the body themselves if the original artwork only showed the head.
Other English Prints
Later in his career, Droeshout created engraved portraits of other famous people. These included John Foxe, Gustavus Adolphus, John Donne, John Howson, and George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham.
He also made more detailed works that used symbols to tell a story, or were based on myths or humorous criticism. One of these was The Spiritual Warfare, which he engraved around the same time as the Shakespeare image. This artwork shows the devil's army attacking a strong fort held by a "Christian Soldier bold." The fort is protected by figures representing Christian good qualities. Some people think this design might have inspired John Bunyan to write his book The Holy War. This print was even reprinted in 1697 after Bunyan's books became very popular.
Droeshout also made several engraved plates for a book called The Hierarchy of the Blessed Angels by Thomas Heywood. He was one of five engravers who worked on this project.
His most complex independent print is "Doctor Panurgus." This artwork uses symbols to show the silly things people do in modern life. It depicts figures representing people from the countryside, towns, and royal courts being "treated" by the doctor. The design is quite complicated and was based on an earlier print by another artist. Droeshout added many details, including a lot of text, extra characters, and English and Latin phrases. These phrases included verses that explained how the doctor was "curing" the three figures of their moral problems. For example, he pours "Wisdome and Understanding" into the mouth of a country person who doesn't know much. He also "smokes" the brain of a fancy courtier in an oven to burn away their vanity. The artwork also includes other designs that refer to religious arguments happening at the time. The whole print is filled with funny, moral verses.
Spanish Prints
Droeshout's ten known Spanish engravings are all about Catholic subjects. This is very different from the works he made in Britain up to 1632. One of his last British works was about the religious ideas of a Puritan named Alexander Henderson. However, the style of his engravings remained very similar. For example, his portrait of Francisco de la Peña looks similar in how the head is shaped and modeled to his Shakespeare print. His earliest Spanish work showed the coat of arms of a powerful Spanish leader named Gaspar de Guzmán, Count-Duke of Olivares. His most clearly Catholic design shows the "Church as Warrior stamping out Heresy, Error and Temerity." This was a front page for a book called Novissimus Librorum Prohibitorum et Expurgatorum Index, which listed books that were not allowed by the Catholic Church.
See also
In Spanish: Martin Droeswoode para niños
