Portret van Hieronymus Wolf op 64-jarige leeftijd - Dominicus Custos

A detailed sixteenth-century engraving by Dominicus Custos, capturing the likeness of the German humanist Hieronymus Wolf.

This engraving by Dominicus Custos depicts the German humanist and philologist Hieronymus Wolf at the age of sixty-four. The portrait is presented within an oval frame, a common convention for sixteenth-century commemorative prints. Custos employs precise, disciplined line work to define the facial features, the texture of the subject's beard, and the folds of his academic attire. The surrounding text within the border provides biographical details, noting the year of his death as 1580, which aligns with the age mentioned in the inscription.

Custos, a Flemish engraver who spent much of his career in Augsburg, was known for his technical proficiency in portraiture. His work often served to document the intellectual figures of the era. The composition is balanced and restrained, focusing the viewer's attention on the subject's gaze and the gravity of his expression. Below the portrait, a Latin inscription adds a layer of philosophical reflection, typical of the period's humanistic tradition. The print demonstrates the high level of craftsmanship associated with the printmaking workshops of the late sixteenth century, where the clarity of the burin was used to convey both physical likeness and scholarly status.

This piece is a fine example of the portrait engraving tradition, where the artist balances technical accuracy with the formal requirements of commemorative art. The use of cross-hatching to create shadow and depth within the oval frame provides a sense of volume to the figure, while the clean lines of the lettering maintain the structural integrity of the print. It remains a clear record of the visual culture surrounding European humanism during the late Renaissance.