Anna Maria van Schurman - Cornelis van Dalen the Younger

A detailed seventeenth-century engraving of the Dutch polymath Anna Maria van Schurman, surrounded by symbolic attributes of her intellectual and artistic life.

This engraving by Cornelis van Dalen the Younger depicts the polymath Anna Maria van Schurman. Known for her intellectual contributions to theology, philosophy, and linguistics, van Schurman was a figure of significant academic standing in the seventeenth-century Netherlands. The portrait captures her within an oval frame, a common convention for formal portraiture of the period, which allows for the inclusion of symbolic elements.

Surrounding the central portrait are various attributes that signify her scholarly pursuits. To the left, a globe and scientific instruments suggest her engagement with geography and the natural sciences. To the right, a palette and brushes allude to her artistic practice, while a distant tower provides a sense of place. Below the portrait, two putti support a cartouche containing a Latin inscription, a device that adds a layer of classical erudition to the composition. The drapery behind the sitter provides a sense of volume and depth, typical of the baroque style prevalent in Dutch printmaking at the time.

Van Dalen the Younger demonstrates technical precision in his handling of the burin. The varying density of the cross-hatching creates a range of tones, from the soft modelling of the sitter's face to the deeper shadows within the folds of her garment. This work is based on a painting by Cornelis Janssens van Ceulen, reflecting the common practice of translating painted portraits into prints for wider circulation. The print serves as a record of both the sitter's public persona and the collaborative nature of seventeenth-century artistic production, where painters and engravers worked in tandem to disseminate images of notable individuals.