When and where was Martin Droeshout born?
Martin Droeshout was baptized in London on the 1st of April 1601. His family had migrated from Flanders to England years earlier to escape religious persecution for their Protestant beliefs.
Questions about Martin Droeshout
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Who commissioned the famous portrait of William Shakespeare by Martin Droeshout?
Martin Droeshout received the commission to engrave William Shakespeare when he was twenty-one years old. The Bard had died when Martin was only fifteen years old, yet the engraver produced the image using conventional methods rather than acting as a creative artist.
What significant works did Martin Droeshout produce between 1623 and 1632?
Between 1623 and 1632 Martin produced at least twenty-four engravings within London including portraits and complex allegorical works like Doctor Panurgus. Another significant work called The Spiritual Warfare appeared around the same time and depicts a devil army besieging a stronghold held by a Christian Soldier bold.
Why did Martin Droeshout move to Spain and what happened there?
Sometime between 1632 and 1635 Droeshout emigrated to Spain and settled in Madrid where he produced signed engravings from 1635 until 1640. Art historian Christiaan Schuckman believes his move caused or resulted from conversion to Catholicism and many of these Spanish works depict Catholic saints using distinct religious symbolism.
Who is the father of Martin Droeshout according to historical records?
Uncertainty exists regarding whether Martin Droeshout the engraver was the brother or son of Michael Droeshout. Lionel Cust asserted in the original Dictionary of National Biography that the younger Martin was the likely candidate while recent research by June Schlueter reaffirms traditional attribution to the younger Droeshout.