Simon Frisius
Encyclopedia
Simon de Vries or Simon Frisius, a Dutch engraver
, was apparently of the same family as Jan Vredeman De Vries
. He was born at Harlingen
, between 1570-1575, and is regarded as one of the first who brought etching to perfection. Abraham Bosse
, in his treatise on the art of engraving, observes, that the first artist to whom he was indebted for intelligence was Simon Frisius, whom he thinks entitled to great credit, as being one of the first that handled the point
with freedom and facility. His etchings are bold and masterly; and in his hatching
s he approaches the neatness and strength of the graver
. The prints of De Vries are scarce, and are much esteemed. The small figures which he occasionally introduces into his landscapes are correctly drawn. He frequently marked his plates S. F. fecit, but sometimes with the word fecit only. He started his career in Paris, and worked in Rouen and Amsterdam before moving to the Hague in 1611 where he became a member of the Confrerie Pictura
. He travelled in France, Spain, Germany, Bohemia, and Russia. He died in the Hague in 1628.
The following are his principal works:
Engraving
Engraving is the practice of incising a design on to a hard, usually flat surface, by cutting grooves into it. The result may be a decorated object in itself, as when silver, gold, steel, or glass are engraved, or may provide an intaglio printing plate, of copper or another metal, for printing...
, was apparently of the same family as Jan Vredeman De Vries
Hans Vredeman de Vries
Hans Vredeman de Vries was a Dutch Renaissance architect, painter, and engineer. Vredeman de Vries is known for his publication in 1583 on garden design and his books with many examples on ornaments and perspective ....
. He was born at Harlingen
Harlingen
Harlingen may mean:* Harlingen, Netherlands, a municipality and city in the province of Friesland* Harlingen, Texas, a city in the United States* Harlingen, New Jersey, an unincorporated village in Montgomery Township, New Jersey, United States...
, between 1570-1575, and is regarded as one of the first who brought etching to perfection. Abraham Bosse
Abraham Bosse
Abraham Bosse was a French artist, mainly as a printmaker in etching, but also in watercolour.-Life:...
, in his treatise on the art of engraving, observes, that the first artist to whom he was indebted for intelligence was Simon Frisius, whom he thinks entitled to great credit, as being one of the first that handled the point
Drypoint
Drypoint is a printmaking technique of the intaglio family, in which an image is incised into a plate with a hard-pointed "needle" of sharp metal or diamond point. Traditionally the plate was copper, but now acetate, zinc, or plexiglas are also commonly used...
with freedom and facility. His etchings are bold and masterly; and in his hatching
Hatching
Hatching is an artistic technique used to create tonal or shading effects by drawing closely spaced parallel lines...
s he approaches the neatness and strength of the graver
Burin
Burin from the French burin meaning "cold chisel" has two specialised meanings for types of tools in English, one meaning a steel cutting tool which is the essential tool of engraving, and the other, in archaeology, meaning a special type of lithic flake with a chisel-like edge which was probably...
. The prints of De Vries are scarce, and are much esteemed. The small figures which he occasionally introduces into his landscapes are correctly drawn. He frequently marked his plates S. F. fecit, but sometimes with the word fecit only. He started his career in Paris, and worked in Rouen and Amsterdam before moving to the Hague in 1611 where he became a member of the Confrerie Pictura
Confrerie Pictura
The Confrerie Pictura was a more or less academic club of artists founded in 1656 in The Hague, by local art painters, who were unsatisfied by the Guild of Saint Luke there.-History:The guild of St...
. He travelled in France, Spain, Germany, Bohemia, and Russia. He died in the Hague in 1628.
The following are his principal works:
- A set of twelve small heads of female Saints and Sibyls; after his own designs.
- A set of Portraits; after Hendrik HondiusHendrik Hondius IHenrik Hondius I or Hendrik Hondius the Elder , was a Dutch Golden Age engraver, cartographer and publisher.-Biography:He was born in Duffel and settled in The Hague in 1597. According to Cornelis de Bie's Het Gulden Cabinet, his father was Guiliam Hondius, a learned man who moved to Mechelen,...
. - A set of twelve plates of Birds and Butterflies; after Marcus GeerartsMarcus Gheeraerts the YoungerMarcus Gheeraerts was an artist of the Tudor court, described as "the most important artist of quality to work in England in large-scale between Eworth and Van Dyck" He was brought to England as a child by his father Marcus Gheeraerts the Elder, also a painter...
. - Twenty-five Views and Landscapes; entitled, Typographia variarum Regionum; after Matthys BrilPaul and Mattheus BrillPaul and Matthijs Bril were brothers, both born in Antwerp, who were landscape painters who worked in Rome after earning papal favor.-Biography:...
. 1611. - A mountainous Landscape on the Sea-coast, with figures; after Hendrik GoltziusHendrik GoltziusHendrik Goltzius , was a Dutch printmaker, draftsman, and painter. He was the leading Dutch engraver of the early Baroque period, or Northern Mannerism, noted for his sophisticated technique and the "exuberance" of his compositions. According to A...
. - A Landscape, with a Tower; after the same. 1608.
- A Landscape, with the story of Tobit and the Angel; after P. LastmanPieter LastmanPieter Lastman was a Dutch painter . Lastman is considered important because of his work as a painter of history pieces and because his pupils included Rembrandt and Jan Lievens...
. - A Landscape, with the Flight into Egypt; after H. Hondius.
- A Landscape, with two pastoral figures; highly finished, and very scarce.