Martin Droeshout
April 1601 marked the baptism of Martin Droeshout in London, though his family had arrived from Flanders years earlier. They migrated to England specifically to escape religious persecution for their Protestant beliefs. His father Michael Droeshout was a well-established engraver who brought the trade across the Channel. His mother Dominique Verrike became his father's second wife after arriving in the new country. An uncle named Martin Droeshout lived in London during the 1560s and worked as an established painter. The younger Martin grew up surrounded by these relatives who shaped his early artistic environment. No direct documentation survives about his life beyond that single baptism record.
Martin 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. The portrait shares many clumsy features with the rest of Droeshout's work. Benjamin Roland Lewis noted that virtually all of his output shows the same artistic defects. He was an engraver following conventional methods rather than acting as a creative artist. E. A. J. Honigmann suggested the elder Martin might have created the original image since he was an established painter. Tarnya Cooper argued that poor drawing of the doublet and collar suggests copying a lost sketch showing only the head and shoulders. The body was added by the engraver himself as common practice at the time.
Between 1623 and 1632 Martin produced at least twenty-four engravings within London. These included portraits and complex allegorical works like Doctor Panurgus. This elaborate piece adapted an earlier print by Matthaeus Greuter. Another significant work called The Spiritual Warfare appeared around the same time as the Shakespeare image. It depicts a devil army besieging a stronghold held by a Christian Soldier bold. Figures representing Christian virtues guard this fortress against the attacking forces. John Bunyan may have been influenced by this design when writing The Holy War later in life. The print appears to have been reprinted in 1697 following the success of Bunyan's books.
Sometime between 1632 and 1635 Droeshout emigrated to Spain and settled in Madrid. He produced signed engravings there from 1635 until 1640. Art historian Christiaan Schuckman believes his move caused or resulted from conversion to Catholicism. Many of these Spanish works depict Catholic saints using distinct religious symbolism. His namesake Martin the Elder remained in London as a staunch member of the local Dutch Protestant community throughout his life. While in Spain he anglicised his name to Droeswoode possibly due to negative attitudes toward the Dutch. There are no known records of him after 1640. He was not mentioned in his brother's will dated 1651 which suggests death or severed family links.
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. Historian Mary Edmund argued in 1991 that the elder Martin may have been both painter and engraver. She stated there was no evidence the younger ever worked as an engraver at all. Her views appeared in the new Oxford Dictionary of National Biography attributing the entire oeuvre to the elder Martin. Recent research by June Schlueter reaffirms traditional attribution to the younger Droeshout. Stylistic grounds and signature similarities suggest many engravings came from one individual despite the confusion.
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Common questions
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.
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.