Select a Link

Passe, Crispijn de, the Elder (1564-1637) Born in Arnemuiden in Zeeland, Crispijn de Passe the Elder moved successively to Antwerp, Aachen, Cologne and Utrecht, where he was based from 1611 until his death and where he was joined in his later years by his son Crispijn the Younger (c. 1594-1670). Crispijn the Elder was involved in joint projects with various publishers based in London, often providing plates with inscriptions in various languages including English.

Passe, Simon de (c. 1595-1647) The second son of Crispijn de Passe the Elder, Simon came to London in 1616, remaining there until 1621, when he returned to Utrecht, subsequently moving to Copenhagen, where he became official engraver to Christian IV of Denmark. In England, he mainly produced portrait engravings, enhancing their impact by placing the bust of the sitter in an oval frame surrounded by lavish decoration, an important development in European portrait engraving as a whole.

Passe, Willem de (1597/8-?1636/7) The third son of Crispijn de Passe the Elder, Willem was initially associated with the English market when he and his sister Magdalena engraved the plates for Henry Holland’s Herωologia between 1618 and 1620. In 1621, he moved to London, where he remained active until 1625, although he did not die until 1636/7. During the period of his activity, he was responsible for various engraved portraits of the royal family and of royal favourites.

Payne, John (active 1620-39) Payne was probably trained by Simon de Passe, and George Vertue considered him ‘the first native that distinguishd himself by his Excellent burin’, though his chances of becoming official engraver to Charles I were thwarted by ‘his irregular way of life’ which also brought about his early death. His prints date from between 1620 and 1639, most of them engraved title-pages and book illustrations, though he was also responsible the various books of plants and animals and for a huge print of The Sovereign of the Seas.

Place, Francis (1647-1728) A member of a gentry family from County Durham, Francis Place discovered his artistic talents while a law student in London. From the mid-1670s he spent increasing amounts of time in York, where he formed part of a circle of virtuosi, but he divided his time between there and London, and he was responsible for a number of prints, including a set of imaginary landscapes and a few mezzotints. He also produced many topographical drawings made on tours undertaken from the 1670s to the end of his life.