This group of engravings were probably the most influential in disseminating the images of the classical bust throughout northern Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries.
A series of twelve plates by different printmakers after antique marble portrait sculptures (heads, busts, herms), a project that Rubens completed in 1638, but that must have commenced much earlier (as one of the engravers, Bolswert, died in 1633). A number of these sculptures may have been part of the antiquities collection of Rubens himself; it is known that Nicolaas Rockox acquired the Demosthenes herm in 1622.
The four different engravers were all employed by Rubens in his studio and are Paulus Pontius, Lucas Vorsterman I, Hans Witdoeck and Boëtius Adamsz Bolswert.
The production of the prints was closely supervised by Rubens as attested by five retouched proof impressions. Only six of Rubens' preparatory drawings have survived.
Rubens had such Roman sculptural heads in his own collection, and he would have been aware of the passage in Pliny the Elder's Natural History (XXXV, 9-11) in which he describes the Roman invention of setting up in libraries the portraits of great spirits from the past.
This and the following info from British Museum. Hermitage, St Peterberg, Hunterian Museum Glasgow,
Sophocles wearing a taenia and drapery, after Rubens engraved by Paulus Pontius, 1638.
Lettered in lower margin, with production details and title: Ex marmore antiquo and P.P. Rubens delin. / P. Pontius sculpsit. Ao. 1638 and "Cum Priuilegiis Regis Christianissimi / Principum Belgarum et Ord. Batauiæ". Size - 305mm x 218mm.
Plato after Rubens engraved by Lucas Vorsterman, 1638.
Herm statue of the Greek philosopher Epicure wrongly titled Plato. Lettered in lower margin, Ex marmore antique and "P.P. Rubens delin. / L. Vorsterman sculp." and Cum priuilegiis Regis Christianissimi. / Principum Belgarum et Ord. Batauiæ.After an unidentified marble sculpture (probably part of Rubens' antiquities collection). Size - 291mm x 189mm.
A drawing by Rubens is in the Morgan Library, New York, inv.no.III,161; a preparatory drawing by Vorsterman is in the Fondation Custodia, Paris, inv.no.5949; see F. Stampfle, 'Netherlandish Drawings of the Fifteenth and Sixteenth Centuries and Flemish Drawings of the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries in the Pierpont Morgan Library', New York-Princeton, 1991, pp.156-157, cat.no.324.
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Socrates, engraved by Paulus Pontius after Rubens, 1638.
Ex marmore antiquo" and "P.P. Rubens delin. / P. Pontius sculpsit. Ao. 1638" and "Cum Privilegiis Regis Christianiss. / Principum Belgarum et Ord. Batauiæ". Size - 311mm x 213mm.
Some scholars identify the portrait as the historiographer Thucydides.
After an unknown drawing by Rubens. After an unidentified marble sculpture (probably part of Rubens' antiquities collection).
Demosthenes, after Rubens engraved by H. Witdoeck, 1638.
Herm statue of the Greek poet Anakreon (wrongly titled Demosthenes)
Ex marmore antiquo, apud D. Nicolavm Rockoxivm, Antuerpiæ" and "P.P. Rubens delineavit. / H. Withouc sculpsit. Ao.1638" and "Cum priuilegiis Regis Christianissimi. / Principum Belgarum et Ord. Batauiæ".
After an unknown drawing by Rubens; a proof impression of the plate retouched by Rubens is in the Cabinet des Estampes of the Bibliothèque nationale de France, Paris.
After a marble sculpture which belonged to Nicolaas Rockox until his death in 1640 after which Queen Christina of Sweden acquired it. It is now in the National Museum of Stockholm.
Cicero after Rubens, engraved by Jan Witdoeck, 1638.
Bust statue of Julius Caesar (wrongly titled Cicero) with short hair, wearing a fringed scarf, bust on a pedestal, almost seen in profile to right; from the set of twelve plates showing antique busts after drawings by Rubens.
After an unknown drawing by Rubens; a proof impression of the plate retouched by Rubens is in the Cabinet des Estampes of the Bibliothèque nationale de France, Paris, inv.no.C10.516. After an unidentified marble sculpture (part of Rubens' antiquities collection).
The similarity of this bust with that of the Roubiliac bust of Alexander Pope should be noted.
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Scipio Africanus, after Rubens, engraved by Paulus Pontius, 1638.
After a grisaille by Rubens, lost since 1912; a proof impression of the plate retouched by Rubens is in the Cabinet des Estampes of the Bibliothèque nationale de France, Paris, inv.no.C10.517. After an unidentified marble sculpture (probably part of Rubens' antiquities collection). Size - 295mm x 216mm.
Nero, after Rubens, engraved by Paulus Pontius, 1638.
Ex marmore antiquo" and "P.P. Rubens delineavit. / P. Pontius sculpsit Ao. 1638" and "Cum priuilegiis Regis Christianissimi. / Principum Belgarum et Ord. Batauiæ".
After a pen drawing by Rubens, now in the Fogg Art Museum, Cambridge Mass., inv.no.1932.360; a proof impression of this plate retouched by Rubens is in the Cabinet des Estampes of the Bibliothèque nationale de France, Paris, inv.no.C10.517.
After an unidentified marble sculpture (part of Rubens' antiquities collection acquired in 1618 from Sir Dudley Carleton). Size - 310mm x 203mm.
Democritus after Rubens engraved by Lucas Vorstermans, 1738.
Ex marmore antiquo and P.P. Rubens delin. / L. Vorsterman sculp. and Cum priuilegiis Regis Christianissimi. / Principum Belgarum et Ord. Batauiæ.
The identification as Democritus is uncertain.
After an unknown drawing by Rubens. After an unidentified marble sculpture (probably part of Rubens' antiquities collection). Size 259mm x 210mm.
Julius Caeser after Rubens engraved by Ademsz Boetius c.1638.
Ex marmore antiquo" and "P.P. Rubens delin. / B a Bolswert sculpsit" and "Cum priuilegiis Regis Christianissimi. / Principum Belgarum et Ord. Batauiæ". Size - 290mm x 212mm.
After a pen drawing by Rubens, now in the Musée du Louvre, Paris, inv.no.20.225. After an unidentified marble sculpture (probably part of Rubens' antiquities collection).
Seneca, after Rubens, engraved by Lucas Vorstermans,1638.
Ex marmore antiquo" and "P.P. Rubens delin. / L. Vorsterman sculpsit Ao. 1638" and "Cum priuilegiis Regis Christianissimi. / Principum Belgarum et Ord. Batauiæ
After a sketch by Rubens in the Metropolitan Museum New York (see below)
After an unidentified marble sculpture (part of Rubens' antiquities collection since 1608, brought back from Italy).
Brutus after Rubens, engraved by Lucas Vorstermans.1638.
Ex marmore antiquo and P.P. Rubens delin. / L. Vorsterman sculpsit Ao. 1638" and Cum priuilegiis Regis Christianissimi. / Principum Belgarum et Ord. Batauiæ.
After a pen drawing by Rubens, now in the Hermitage, St Petersburg, inv.no.5461.
After an unidentified marble sculpture (probably part of Rubens' antiquities collection).
Size 284mm x 197mm.
Hippocates, after Rubens, engraved by Paulus Pontius, 1638.
"HIPPOCRATES HIRACLIDAE F. COVS. Ex marmore antiquo." (b.l.) "P.P. Rubens delineauit. P. Pontius Sculp. A1638." (b.r.) "Cum Privilegiis Regis Christianiss Principum Belgarum, et Ordy Batauiae" Verso hidden by mount. Size
see - http://www.huntsearch.gla.ac.uk/cgi-bin/foxweb/huntsearch/DetailedResults.fwx?collection=art&searchTerm=8071
Sketch of Seneca by Rubens in the Metropolitan Museum, New York.
The Four Philosophers - Rubens.
From the left, self portrait of Rubens, his brother Philip Rubens, Justus Lisius and Jan van de Wouwere - Pitti Palace, Florence
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