Plate 23: Apollo - Jan de Bisschop

A detailed seventeenth-century etching by Jan de Bisschop, depicting the classical figure of Apollo with a lyre.

This etching, Plate 23 from the collection of Jan de Bisschop, depicts the classical figure of Apollo. De Bisschop, a Dutch lawyer and amateur artist, produced these prints to document antique sculptures he encountered during his studies. The work reflects the seventeenth-century interest in classical antiquity, where artists sought to preserve the proportions and poses of ancient statuary through the medium of printmaking.

The figure of Apollo stands in a contrapposto pose, one foot resting upon a rock, while he holds a lyre. The artist employs precise hatching and cross-hatching techniques to define the musculature of the torso and the folds of the drapery. By using these methods, De Bisschop creates a sense of volume and weight, mimicking the tactile quality of marble. The background remains minimal, allowing the viewer to focus entirely on the anatomical accuracy and the graceful posture of the subject.

De Bisschop's work was widely circulated among artists and collectors of the period. His publications, such as the 'Signorum Veterum Icones', provided a visual reference for those who could not travel to Rome to view the originals. This print demonstrates his ability to translate three-dimensional stone forms into two-dimensional graphic art. The clarity of the line work and the balanced composition make this an example of the technical proficiency found in Dutch printmaking during the Baroque era. The print captures the idealised beauty associated with the god of music and poetry, presenting him with a calm, detached expression. It remains a record of how classical forms were interpreted and disseminated in Northern Europe during the seventeenth century.