‘Refusal of a Christian soldier to fight’, made by Jan Luyken (1649 -1712) on laid paper. A clear watermark is visible: ‘PRO PATRIA’. Plate signed bottom right with additional caption ’52’. Title in original Dutch language: ‘Een soldaat Christen geworden zynde legt zyn geweer af in ‘t aanzien van ‘t gansche heyr.’

Craftsmanship

Jan Luyken is regarded as one of the most successful etchers of his time and was born in Amsterdam on April 16, 1649. After a successful career as a poet, painter and etcher Luyken died on April 5, 1712.

The Luyken family was well known in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. They were among the most important book illustrators. This was not only due to Jan Luyken (1649-1712) himself, but also to his father Casper Luyken and his son Caspar Luyken (1672-1708). Jan Luyken’s son, Caspar Luyken (1672-1708), was also an illustrator and engraver and often collaborated with famous names such as Christoph Weigel (1654-1725) and Romeyn de Hooghe (1645-1708).

Jan Luyken took painting lessons with Martinus Saeghmolen. He had such an eye for female beauty that he translated this eroticism into a controversial collection of poems called ‘Duytse lier’, which appeared at the end of 1671. In 1672 he married Maria de Ouden (1647 – 1682) and had 5 children, almost all of whom died young. Son Caspar Luyken became the oldest of the 5 children and also the most successful. Jan Luyken and his son Caspar made his most famous book, ‘Spiegel van het Menselyk Bedryf’.

In 1677 Jan Luyken mainly focused on etchings and engravings, and he made a name for himself as an etcher in 1680 with 24 illustrations of the book Oorsprongk, begin, and vervolgh der Nederlandsche oorlogen, a very popular history book. Luyken’s etchings are of very high quality, he knows how to reproduce the liveliness of smoke and flames very realistically in his etchings. Through the targeted hatching of the figures and the thoughtful use of groups of people in relation to each other, jan luyken creates spatiality and realisticity.

Other very famous works by Jan Luyken:

• Jesus and the soul, emblem book from 1678
• Voncken der Liefde Jesu, collection of devotional poems from 1687
• The Unworthy World Shown in Symbols from 1710
• The Bijekorf des Gemoeds, collection of devotional poems from 1711
• Des menschen begin, middle and end, collection of etchings of phases of life from 1712

‘Etching’

Etching is considered the most important technique for producing prints by old masters. It is a very traditional process discovered by Daniel Hopfer (1470 – 1536) in Germany. Daniel Hopfer already used the etching technique on combat clothing before applying it to make a print. A strong acid or pickling agent is used to cut metal surfaces (usually copper, zinc or steel). The metal plate is covered with a waxy soil which is resistant to acid. The artist then scratches his or her design into the metal with different types of etching needles. After a bath of acid or pickling agent, the scratched metal undergoes a redox reaction, leaving the drawing in the wax on the plate. Ink is poured over the plate and wiped off again to fill in the scratched areas. By then pressing the plate in paper, an etching is created.