RKD STUDIES

Samuel must have begun learning the craft of etching a few years before he received the commission from Johan van Beverwijck (1594-1647). His father Dirck died in December 1640. A second possible teacher is the goldsmith and engraver Hendrick de Coninck (1617-1681), a cousin of Samuel's mother.¹ In the Inleyding Samuel recalls that at age fourteen, he had already spent half his life in the service of the visual arts.² Thus, he probably began his training around the age of seven (in the mid 1630s). We propose that two rare, tiny tronies, or head studies, provide evidence for Van Hoogstraten's first attempts to master the art of etching. As was often the case for beginning printmakers, both plates are based on designs by other artists. The first depicts the bust of a man in a feathered cap, looking down [2]. Although the linework is tentative and the figure lacks convincing volume, the loose, sketchlike handling is close enough to Rembrandt's etching style that Bartsch and other early cataloguers attributed this print to Rembrandt. The initial 'S' inscribed at center right could stand for 'Samuel', although it does not accord with other Van Hoogstraten monograms. Hollstein cited an impression of a second state in which the initials 'S.v.H.' have been added in ink.³ We were unable to verify this, as no impression of this state has been located, but similar inscriptions appear on other prints (see [4]). The source for this figure is not Rembrandt, but rather a drawing from life of two peasant figures by Roelant Savery (1576-1639) [3]. Van Hoogstraten's figure bears a striking resemblance to the man on the left in Savery's drawing, with his distinctive feathered cap and pensive expression. The pose is reversed in the print, as it should be if the drawing were copied onto the copperplate. The question then becomes: how and when might Van Hoogstraten have encountered Savery's drawing?

The drawing of two peasant figures is one of numerous 'naer het leven' studies Roelant Savery made while traveling in eastern Europe around 1608-1610.⁴ By the time Van Hoogstraten was learning his craft, Savery had settled in Utrecht, where he joined the artists' guild in 1618 and lived until his death in 1639. It is likely that the drawing was passed down as part of Savery's artistic estate to another member of his family, which included several printmakers.⁵ Like the Van Hoogstratens, the Saverys also had ties to the Mennonite faith.

Of particular interest is Roelant Savery's nephew and godson, Salomon Savery (1593-1681), a prolific printmaker living in Amsterdam. Both he and Samuel van Hoogstraten produced prints for treatises by Johan van Beverwijck that were published in 1642 in Dordrecht.⁶ In 1644, Salomon's daughter, Martijnge, married the Dordrecht city historian Matthys Jansz. Balen (1611-1691) in Amsterdam. At that time, Van Hoogstraten was in Amsterdam working with Rembrandt; he may even have attended the wedding. In 1656, Van Hoogstraten would marry Matthijs's cousin, Sara Balen. Savery's later work included prints with Rembrandtesque sources and illustrations for several Dordrecht publishers.⁷ He also etched a portrait of a calligrapher, aged 29, inscribed as after 'S. v. Hoochstraten'.⁸ Thus, it seems likely that Salomon Savery and Samuel van Hoogstraten knew each other. While this might have been Van Hoogstraten's means of access to the drawing by Salomon's uncle, Roelant, Salomon (thirty-three years older and well-established as an illustrator) could also have stimulated Samuel's interest in printmaking and book illustration. He may even have provided practical advice.

A small etched portrait of an elderly man may also be one of Van Hoogstraten's earliest works. An impression in the British Museum bears the monogram 'S.v.H.' in brown ink [4]. Hollstein identified the sitter as Rev. Johannes Uytenbogaert. However, the figure does not resemble known likenesses of the renowned theologian, such as Rembrandt's etching of 1635. In fact, we have discovered that Samuel based this etching on a chalk drawing by his father, Dirck [5]. According to the inscription, the drawing portrays Samuel's great-grandfather, Franchois van Hoogstraten (1541-1632), a linen merchant and money changer in Dordrecht who played a central role in Dirck's upbringing. The print is not traced from the drawing, but freely adapted from it. The translation of the facial features is imperfect, and Samuel has added fur trim to the costume and a large book fastened with clasps. Other elements, however, are more faithfully recorded, including the skull cap, collar, and somewhat vacant expression; a distinctive feature is the pointed beard, curling upward at the tip. Young Samuel may not have intended this print as a portrait in the formal sense, but instead used his father's drawing as raw material to practice creating a character study.

2
Samuel van Hoogstraten
Bust of a bearded man with a feathered cap, looking down
Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum, inv./cat.nr. RP-P-OB-794

3
attributed to Roelant Savery
Two peasants, c. 1608-1610
Paris, Fondation Custodia - Collection Frits Lugt, inv./cat.nr. 3036

4
Samuel van Hoogstraten
Portrait of Franchois van Hoogstraten (1541-1632), c. 1640-1643
London (England), British Museum, inv./cat.nr. Sheepshanks.4990

5
Dirck van Hoogstraten
Portrait of Franchois van Hoogstraten (1541-1632), dated 1631-07-25
Private collection