In this print, Wenceslaus Hollar presents a portrait of D. Henrico van der Borcht, copying a painting or drawing by Hans Holbein. Copying works of famous masters was a common task of printmakers from the sixteenth through the nineteenth century. It allowed a wide audience to become familiar with the work, but it was also a lucrative source of income.

Wenceslaus Von Prachna Hollar was a prolific and accomplished Bohemian graphic artist of the seventeenth century. His work embraced a great variety of subjects, including scenes from the bible, historical pictures, maps, portraits of his chief contemporaries, views of cities, flower and fruit pieces, and various illustrations to books. His clever sketches of costume, his views of old London and other cities are invaluable to the historian. His engravings are executed with much spirit and carefully finished. Having produced more than 3000 different prints during his career, his works can be found in every major museum collection from the Metropolitan Museum of Art to the National Gallery in London.

Hans Holbein the younger was one of the most sought-after artists of the 16th century. He came from northern Europe at the beginning of the Protestant Reformation, emigrating to England where he became the court painter for King Henry VIII. Along with portraits of the king and his court, he also produced miniature portraits that are likewise prized for their sincerity and accurate likeness.

In this image, the young man is shown wearing fashionable clothing, including a ruffled collar and fur-lined coat. Copies of this print are held in the Princeton University Art Museum, the Auckland Art Gallery, the Bristol Museums, the National Gallery of Scotland, as well as in the Royal Collection Trust: the collection of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

5.13 x 3.37 inches, artwork
15.63 x 13.88 inches, frame

Inscribed 'HHolbein inu,' upper left
Signed in the plate 'WHollar fecit 1646,' upper right
Inscribed 'D. Henrico van der Borcht iuniori. Artis Pictoriae Ania tori maximo, A mico luo dilectis limo hanc tabellam dedicat, Adam Alexiies Bierling Ao 1646,' bottom

Framed to conservation standards using 100 percent rag matting and Conservation Clear glass, housed in a gold gilded frame.
Overall good condition. Some planar distortion to upper left and right corners of artwork.