The drawings of Jacob de Gheyn II,

Jacob de Gheyn is one of the few trulygreat draughtsmen of the Renaissance and of the Baroque in northern Europe. With his illustrious predecessor, Albrecht Durer, he shares a quest for knowledge of the visible world, with his younger compatriot Rembrandt a deep understanding for the human side of man. He has left numerous spontaneous sketches and finished drawings of a great variety of subjects, ranging from studies of nature to witchcraft scenes and religious subjects. The author places De Gheyn at the top rank and relates him to the intellectual trends of the time.