Pieter van Sompel & Pieter Soutman

Rudolphus I Rudolph I Founder and Count of Habsburg

Rudolphus I, Nascitur Comes Habsburgicus (Rudolph I, Founder and Count of Habsburg)

Pieter van Sompel's and Pieter Soutman's 17th century portrait entitled, "Rudolphus I, Nascitur Comes Habsburgicus" (Rudolph I, Founder and Count of Habsburg) is an original etching and engraving. It is the first from a set of thirteen large portraits depicting monarchs of the House of Habsburg, beginning with Rudolph I, who was the first German King of the Habsburg Dynasty and ending with Ferdinand III. Soutman designed each of the portraits for this series, "Effigies imperatorum domus Austriacae" and entirely designed and etched each unique, ornamental border. Soutman's engravers for the portraits were either Pieter van Sompel or Jonas Suyderhoef. This impression of "Rudolphus I, Nascitur Comes Habsburgicus" (Rudolph I, Founder and Count of Habsburg), hails from the third state of four published by Frederick de Wit c. 1660 - 1680 and is printed on seventeenth century hand-made. This etching and engraving is a fine, original example of the art created by the Dutch artists, Pieter van Sompel and Pieter Claesz Soutman.

Here, Pieter van Sompel depicts a three quarter length portrait of Holy Roman the Emperor Rudolph I, born, Count of Habsburg wearing his Royal dress and crown with his head slightly turned to the left. The portrait is surrounded by Pieter Soutman's large and richly ornate border decorated with Rudolph's coat-of-arms which occupies the top of the border and is flanked by imperial eagles. To the sides, putti mischievously play with arms and armour. The Latin inscription under this superb portrait of Emperor Rudolph I reads; "I, Rudolphus I, Nascitur Comes Habsburgicus Kal, Maii, MCCXVIII, Sceptrum, Caesareum, Infert Suae Domui III KAL, Octob, MCCLXXIII, Ottocari Victor, Austriam, et Alias Terras, Filiis, Dat, Imperio Restituto, Atque, Pacato, Obit, XVII, Kal, Sextil, MCCXCI. 'P. Soutman Invenit Effigiavit et Excud. Cum Privil. P. van Sompel Sculp. Frederick de Wit Excudit'". Born in 1218, Rudolph I was the first German King of the Habsburg Dynasty. He inherited Breisgua, Alsace and the Aargau and acquired the duchies of Austria and Styria by defeating his enemy, Ottakar II, also known as Premyslid Otakar (Ottokar), King of Bohemia and Duke of Styria. Rudolph was crowned King in 1273. Emperor Rudolph I died in 1291 and was succeeded by his son, Albert I. This is a striking example of the 17th century art created by the Dutch artists, Pieter van Sompel and Pieter Soutman

Original Etching & Engraving by the Dutch artists, Pieter van Sompel and Pieter Soutman.

Rudolphus I, Nascitur Comes Habsburgicus (Rudolph I, Founder and Count of Habsburg)

View other original works of art from the (Effigies imperatorum domus Austriacae).

(Effigies imperatorum domus Austriacae) German and Austrian Emperors with a lineage to the House of Habsburg
#	Image	Title & Artist	Medium	Date	Notes
01-		Emperor Albert I (Albertus I, Imperator) by Pieter van Sompel & Pieter Soutman	Original Etching & Engraving	1644 (Frederick de Wit Edition: c. 1660 - 1680)	K. G. Boon, Catalogue #14. Third State of Four
02.-		Emperor Charles V (Carolus V, Imperator) by Pieter van Sompel & Pieter Soutman	Original Etching & Engraving	1644 (Frederick de Wit Edition: c. 1660 - 1680)	K. G. Boon, Catalogue #15. Third State of Four.
03.-		Emperor Frederick III (Imperator Fredericus III, Frederick the Fair) by Jonas Suyderhoef & Pieter Soutman	Original Etching & Engraving	1644 (Pieter Claesz Soutman, First Edition)	K. G. Boon, Catalogue #50. First State of Four.
04.-		Emperor Maximilian I (Maximilianus I, Imperator) by Jonas Suyderhoef and Pieter Soutman	Original Etching & Engraving	1644 (Frederick de Wit Edition: c. 1660 - 1680)	K. G. Boon, Catalogue #21. Third State of Four.
05.-		Emperor, Maximilian II (Maximilianus II, Imperator) by Jonas Suyderhoef and Pieter Soutman	Original Etching & Engraving	1644 (Frederick de Wit Edition: c. 1660 - 1680)	K. G. Boon, Catalogue #22. Third State of Four
06.-		Emperor Rudolph I, Founder and Count of Habsburg (Rudolphus I, Nascitur Comes Habsburgicus) by Jonas Suyderhoef and Pieter Soutman	Original Etching & Engraving	1644 (Frederick de Wit Edition: c. 1660 - 1680)	K. G. Boon, Catalogue #23. Third State of Four.

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Title:	Rudolphus I, Nascitur Comes Habsburgicus (Rudolph I, Founder and Count of Habsburg)
Engraver:	Pieter van Sompel (Antwerp, c. 1600 - Haarlem, after 1644)
Etcher:	Pieter Claesz Soutman (Haarlem, 1580 - 1657)
Designer:	Pieter Claesz Soutman (Haarlem, 1580 - 1657)
Medium:	Original Etching & Engraving (Third State of Four)
Publisher:	Frederick de Wit
Date:	Date: 1644 (Frederick de Wit Edition: c. 1660 - 1680)
Source:	Effigies imperatorum domus Austriacae
Note:	Pieter van Sompel: Born in Antwerp, Pieter van Sompel (sometimes, Sompelen) came to Haarlem to study engraving techniques under Pieter Claesz Soutman. He afterwards worked almost exclusively for this master and publisher, contributing many portrait engravings to such sets as "Effigies imperatorum domus Austriacae" (1644), "Ferdinandus II et III imperatorum domus Austriacae and The Princes of Nassau" (1643). Perhaps because of similarities of the titles, portraits from the first two sets are often assigned to the wrong series. "Effigies imperatorum domus Austriacae "(1644) consists of thirteen large engravings and etchings of Habsburg Emperors, the majority of which were engraved by Pieter van Sompel. Such is the case with this original portrait which depicts Rudolph I, Founder and Count of Habsburg. "Ferdinandus II et III imperatorum domus Austriacae" contains almost thirty smaller portraits depicting European Kings, Queens and Dukes during the reigns of Ferdinand II and III.
	Pieter van Sompel also engraved portraits and mythological and religious scenes after the designs of Rubens and Vandyck. During his career he engraved the portraits of such contemporaries as Philip of Nassau, Prince of Orange, Cardinal Ferdinand, Isabella, Infanta of Spain, Henry, Count of Nassau, and Gaston, Duke of Orleans.
	Pieter Soutman 'Pieter Claesz Soutman': A Dutch painter, etcher, engraver and print publisher, Pieter Claesz Soutman moved to Antwerp around 1620 to study painting and engraving techniques under Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640). He was then employed by both the courts of Berlin and Warsaw to paint historical subjects and portraits. Soutman returned to Haarlem in 1628 and in the following years established a studio where he taught the techniques of the famous school of Rubens. Among his students were Jones Suyderhoef, Pieter van Sompel, Cornelius Visscher and Jan Timans. Pieter Claesz Soutman entered the Guild of Haarlem in 1633.
	Many of Pieter Soutman's etchings and engravings are based upon the designs of Rubens. Some, however, were both designed and etched or engraved by his hand, as is here the case with this unique, ornamental border. Here, Rudolph's coat-of-arms occupies the top of the border and is flanked by imperial eagles. To the sides, putti mischievously play with arms and armour. In his etching techniques Soutman aimed to keep his compositions both light and broad.
	For engraving the thirteen portraits of "Effigies imperatorum domus Austriacae", Pieter Soutman turned to two of his best apprentices, Jonas Suyderhoef (2) and Pieter van Sompel (11). Today such institutions as the British Museum and National Portrait Gallery, London, the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, the Deutsches Historisches Museum, Berlin, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, and the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco include various impressions from the "Effigies imperatorum domus Austriacae" in their permanent collections.
	A Biographical Note: Rudolph I (Limburg-im-Breisgau, 1218 - Speyer, 1291) was the son of Albert IV, Count of Habsburg (c. 1188-1239) and Countess, Hedwig of the Swiss House of Kyburg (c. 1192-1260). He was the paternal grandson of Rudolph II, Count of Habsburg (d. 1232), and grandson of Albert III, Count of Habsburg (d. 1199). His first wife was Countess, Gertrude of Hoenburg (c. 1225-1281) and after Gertrude's death, he married Isabella of Burgundy, Queen of Germany (1270-1323). Rudolph I was the first German King of the Habsburg Dynasty. He inherited Breisgua, Alsace and the Aargau and acquired the duchies of Austria and Styria by defeating his enemy, Ottakar II, also known as Premyslid Otakar (Ottokar), King of Bohemia and Duke of Styria. (c. 1233-1278). Rudolph was crowned King in 1273 and was recognized by Pope Gregory X upon Rudolph's vow to lead a newly formed Crusade. He was succeeded by his son, Albert I, King of Germany, & Duke of Austria and Styria (1255-1308). Albert's brother Rudolf II (1270-1290), also held the title of Duke of Austria and Styria for a short period of time. This original etching and engraving depicts a three quarter length portrait of Holy Roman the Emperor Rudolph I, Founder and Count of Habsburg. Here, the artist, Pieter van Sompel depicts Rudolf of Habsburg wearing his Royal robe and crown with his head slightly turned to the left. The portrait is engraved in an oval format surrounded by Pieter Soutman's large and richly ornate border decorated with Rudolph's coat-of-arms which occupies the top of the border and is flanked by imperial eagles. To the sides, putti mischievously play with arms and armour. The Latin inscription under this superb portrait of Emperor Rudolph I reads; "I, Rudolphus I, Nascitur Comes Habsburgicus Kal, Maii, MCCXVIII, Sceptrum, Caesareum, Infert Suae Domui III KAL, Octob, MCCLXXIII, Ottocari Victor, Austriam, et Alias Terras, Filiis, Dat, Imperio Restituto, Atque, Pacato, Obit, XVII, Kal, Sextil, MCCXCI. 'P. Soutman Invenit Effigiavit et Excud. Cum Privil. P. van Sompel Sculp. Frederick de Wit Excudit'" . A loose translation to this text reads' (Plate I, Rudolph I, Born, Count of Hapsburg, Kal, May, 1218, Crowned Ruler of his Kingdom, October 1273, defeated King of Bohemia, & Duke of Austria, Ottakar II (c. 1233-1278), restored the Empire of Austria and its lands for his children, Died, 17, Kal, July, 1291). This is a striking example of the 17th century art created by the Dutch artists, Pieter van Sompel and Pieter Soutman.
Raisonne:	K. G. Boon, ed., Hollstein’s Dutch and Flemish Etchings, Engravings and Woodcuts, Van Gendt B.V., Blaricum, 1984. Volume 27, pp. 209 - 213. Catalogue #23. Third State of Four, as described.
Note:	Determining the states for each engraving from "Effigies imperatorum domus Austriacae" is not difficult. Changes occur only within the lettering. The first state is the only state that contains the date, 1644. In the second state the date has been removed. The third state contains the name of the new publisher, 'F. de Wit' or 'Frederick de Wit', to the lower right, as is the case with this impression of "Rudolphus I, Nascitur Comes Habsburgicus". Lastly, for the fourth and final state, both the Roman numeral and de Wit's name have been removed.
	On the other hand, determining an exact date for Frederick de Wit's maps, portraits and other prints is not an easy task. Frederick de Wit (1630-1706) moved from his birthplace in Gouda to Amsterdam around 1648. He opened his first printing and publishing house there in 1654. He continued to publish a large number atlases, books and prints until the end of the century. Very few bear dates and thus in determining the date of publication for this original engraving I have left the broad range of c. 1660 - 1680.
	Information concerning Pieter Soutman's dual role as both the designer and etcher of the borders was obtained from the British Museum. This may be viewed online under the British Museum Registration Number: 1867,0413.609, Imperatores Domus Austriacae, portrait of Albertus II by Pieter Soutman and Jonas Suyderhoef. The Curator comments, "The portraits are engraved by Jonas Suyderhoef (Hollstein nos. 49-50) and Pieter van Sompel (Hollstein 14-24); while the ornamental borders are etched by Pieter Soutman, who also published the series in Haarlem in 1644".
Size:	17 1/2 X 14 1/4 (Sizes in inches are approximate, height preceding width of plate-mark or image.)
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Condition:	Printed on seventeenth century hand-made, laid paper and trimmed to the plate-mark, as usual. Impressions from Frederick de Wit's edition contain both vertical and horizontal fold marks to accommodate the size of the text of "Effigies imperatorum domus Austriacae". Such is the case with this original engraving. Slight paper loss (within the robe of Rudolph) has occurred at the junction of the fold lines. As well, minor, restored tears exist along the lower margin. Else this original seventeenth century engraving is very well printed and in good condition throughout. Altogether, "Rudolphus I, Nascitur Comes Habsburgicus" (Rudolph I, Founder and Count of Habsburg) represents a fine, original example of the engraved art of Pieter van Sompel and the etching and design techniques of Pieter Claesz Soutman.
Subject:	Pieter van Sompel, Pieter van Sompelen, Pieter Claesz Soutman, Pieter Soutman, "Rudolphus I, Nascitur Comes Habsburgicus "(Rudolph I, Founder and Count of Habsburg), original engraving and etching, "Effigies imperatorum domus Austriacae", portrait engravings of the seventeenth century, unique, ornamental borders, imperial eagles, putti, Hapsburg dynasty also spelt (Habsburg)
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