Portret van Jan Saenredam

This engraving depicts Jan Saenredam at age 37, shown in profile wearing a high ruffled collar and a pointed beard. Below the oval frame, a decorative cartouche features a Latin verse by the humanist Theodorus Schrevelius praising the artist's celestial meditations and his skill in copperplate engraving.

As a central figure in the Haarlem Mannerist circle, Saenredam translated complex Neoplatonic and Hermetic allegories into print. The inscription's reference to him being 'born under a lucky star' and 'meditating on the heavens and stars' reflects the deep connection between artistic genius and astrological influence in Renaissance natural philosophy.