Frederik Bouttats the Younger

Frederik Bouttats the Younger was a Flemish engraver active in Antwerp during the mid-17th century, known primarily for his finely executed portraits and book illustrations. Born around 1610 into a prolific family of artists, he was the son and pupil of Frederik Bouttats the Elder and brother to fellow engravers Gaspar, Gerard, Jacob, and Filibert. In 1643, he was recorded as a wynmeester (master wine steward) in the Guild of Saint Luke in Antwerp, a position that signified both artistic and social standing within the city's vibrant community of painters and printmakers. Bouttats was celebrated for his engraved likenesses of notable contemporary figures such as Louis XIII of France, Philip II of Spain, Queen Christina of Sweden, Oliver Cromwell, and the Duke of Brabant. He also produced portraits of artists and intellectuals, including the architect Leo van Heil, and painters Jan Baptist van Heil and David Ryckaert III. His work extended to religious themes and frontispiece illustrations, including the notable Images des hommes d'esprit (1649), a publication featuring portraits of learned men. Bouttats engraved both from his own compositions and after other masters, employing a clean, precise technique with the burin. His engravings were widely circulated and often published in both Antwerp and Cologne. Notably prolific, he was also a father to twenty-four children, some of whom continued the family tradition as engravers and worked with publishers across Flanders and the Rhineland.