Aegidius Sadeler II

Aegidius Sadeler II (1570–1629) was a Flemish engraver and painter, celebrated as one of the most accomplished printmakers of the late Renaissance. Born in Antwerp into the prolific Sadeler family of artists, he trained under his uncles Jan and Raphael Sadeler before working in cities such as Munich and Venice. By the mid-1590s, he had settled in Prague, where he became court engraver to Emperor Rudolf II, and later served Rudolf’s successors Matthias and Ferdinand II. Renowned for his technical precision and refined line work, Sadeler produced portraits, religious subjects, and reproductions of paintings by leading Mannerist and early Baroque artists, including Bartholomeus Spranger, Hans von Aachen, and Roelandt Savery. His engravings played a key role in disseminating the art of the Prague court across Europe, cementing his reputation as one of the foremost printmakers of his time.