Artwork
Two Figures in Costume
Two Figures in Costume is an ink print by the Renaissance artist Jan van de Velde. It dates from 1617 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Jan van de Velde the younger produced the print *Two Figures in Costume* in 1617. Executed as an etching, the work presents a monochrome composition of two individuals dressed in elaborate, period attire, rendered with the line work and tonal shading typical of early‑17th‑century Dutch printmaking.
Subject & Meaning
The left figure is cloaked in a long robe, crowned with a halo and grasping a book‑like object, suggesting a scholarly or saintly role. The companion on the right wears a tall hat, cape, and boots, holding a smaller item that may be a token or instrument, creating a contrast between the two personas.
Technique & Style
Van de Velde employed the etching process, incising lines into a copper plate and using acid to deepen them. Varied cross‑hatching and stippling generate the illusion of fabric texture and depth, a common method for achieving three‑dimensionality in prints of the period.
History & Provenance
Born into a family of draftsmen and printmakers, Jan van de Velde the younger worked primarily in the Dutch Golden Age, focusing on animal, landscape, and still‑life subjects. *Two Figures in Costume* reflects his broader oeuvre and the commercial print market of early 17th‑century Holland.
Context
The print aligns with contemporary interests in costume studies and allegorical portraiture, where clothing and accessories conveyed status, profession, or moral attributes. Its black‑and‑white format underscores the period’s reliance on line and shading rather than color to convey narrative detail.
Artist & collection
Artist
Jan van de Velde the younger (1593 – c. 1 November 1641) was a Dutch Golden Age painter and printmaker, mostly of animal, landscape and still-life subjects. He was the son of Jan van de Velde the Elder and the father of…
