Who painted Title Page for Heribert Rosweyde's "Vitae Patrum"?

Title Page for Heribert Rosweyde's "Vitae Patrum" was painted by Cornelis Galle I in 1628.

Where can I see Title Page for Heribert Rosweyde's "Vitae Patrum"?

Title Page for Heribert Rosweyde's "Vitae Patrum" is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Title Page for Heribert Rosweyde's "Vitae Patrum"?

Title Page for Heribert Rosweyde's "Vitae Patrum" is associated with Baroque.

Artwork

Title Page for Heribert Rosweyde's "Vitae Patrum"

Cornelis Galle I , 1628

Title Page for Heribert Rosweyde's "Vitae Patrum" is an ink print by the Baroque artist Cornelis Galle I. It dates from 1628 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

The 1628 title page for Heribert Rosweyde’s *Vitae Patrum* is an engraving on laid paper, accompanied by Latin text rendered in pen and brown ink. Executed by Cornelis Galle the Elder, the composition gathers a group of figures around a central tableau, set within a rocky landscape under a sky populated by two bearded men on clouds.

Subject & Meaning

The central scene depicts a woman reclining on a rock with a sleeping child, while surrounding figures kneel or stand, some holding books, staffs, or scrolls. The two celestial bearded figures above, one with a book and the other with a scroll, suggest divine or scholarly authority, underscoring the work’s function as a frontispiece for a collection of saints’ lives.

Technique & Style

Galle employed a fine burin to incise delicate lines, creating nuanced shading that gives the figures a three‑dimensional presence despite the monochrome medium. The use of laid paper provides a subtle texture, while the handwritten Latin caption in brown ink adds a contrasting, human touch to the otherwise precise engraving.

History & Provenance

Born in Antwerp in 1576, Cornelis Galle the Elder was trained by his father Philip Galle before a formative stay in Rome, where he refined his design sensibility. After returning to Antwerp, he worked as both engraver and printseller, producing works after his own designs and those of contemporaries, situating this title page within the flourishing Northern European print tradition of the early 17th century.