Portret van Jan Saenredam

This engraving depicts the artist Jan Saenredam at age 37, shown in profile with a high ruff collar and a short, pointed beard. The portrait is set within an oval border inscribed with his name and age, supported by a large decorative cartouche at the bottom. The Latin verse beneath him commemorates his skill as a student of Hendrick Goltzius and his focus on celestial and allegorical subjects.

Jan Saenredam was a pivotal figure in the Haarlem Mannerist circle, whose engravings frequently explored complex Hermetic, Neoplatonic, and astronomical themes. The inscription specifically notes he 'meditated on heaven and the stars,' referencing his influential series on the Seven Planets and his role in visualizing the natural philosophy of the late Renaissance.