A fine seventeenth-century engraving by Paulus Pontius, depicting the Dutch painter Daniel Mytens the Elder as part of Van Dyck's Iconography series.

This engraving by Paulus Pontius depicts the Dutch painter Daniel Mytens the Elder. Pontius, a skilled engraver, worked closely with Anthony van Dyck to translate the painterly qualities of the latter's portraits into the medium of print. The work belongs to the Iconography series, a collection of portraits of contemporary artists, scholars, and nobility that Van Dyck commissioned to document the figures of his age.

The portrait captures Mytens in a three-quarter view, his gaze directed towards the viewer with a sense of quiet authority. He wears the attire typical of the seventeenth-century professional class, featuring a soft, wide collar and a heavy cloak draped over his shoulder. Pontius employs a sophisticated system of cross-hatching and varied line weights to render the textures of the fabric, the softness of the skin, and the play of light across the sitter's features. The background remains relatively simple, allowing the focus to remain on the personality and presence of the subject.

As a printmaker, Pontius was admired for his ability to capture the specific character of a sitter while maintaining the stylistic unity of the Iconography project. The Latin inscription at the base identifies the subject and notes the collaboration between Van Dyck, who provided the original design, and Pontius, who executed the plate. This print offers a clear example of the technical precision found in Flemish Baroque engraving, where the interplay of shadow and light creates a sense of volume and physical presence. It remains a primary source for the visual history of the period, documenting the appearance of a painter who served the English court during the reign of Charles I.