f great
life and beauty, and Rembrandt, who was not less masterly in engraving
than in painting, as appears sufficiently in his portraits of the
BURGOMASTER SIX, the two COPPENOLS, the ADVOCATE TOLLING, the
goldsmith LUTMA, all showing singular facility and originality.
Contemporary with Rembrandt was Cornelis Visscher, also designer and
engraver, whose portraits were unsurpassed in boldness and picturesque
effect. At least one authority has accorded to this artist the palm of
engraving, hailing him as Corypheus of the art. Among his successful
portraits is that of a CAT; but all yield to what are known as the
GREAT BEARDS, being the portraits of WILLIAM DE RYCK, an ophthalmist
at Amsterdam, and of GELLIUS DE BOUMA, the Zutphen ecclesiastic. The
latter is especially famous. In harmony with the beard is the heavy
face, seventy-seven years old, showing the fulness of long-continued
potation, and hands like the face, original and powerful, if not
beautiful.

[Illustration: THE SLEEPING CAT.

(Engraved by Cornelis Visscher from his own Design.)]

[Sidenote: Vandyck.]

In contrast with Visscher was his companion Vandyck, who painted
portraits with constant beauty and carried into etching the same
Virgilian taste and skill. His aquafortis was not less gentle than his
pencil. Among his etched portraits I would select that of SNYDERS, the
animal painter, as extremely beautiful. M. Renouvier, in his learned
and elaborate work, _Des Types et des Manieres des Maitres Graveurs_,
though usually moderate in praise, speaks of these sketches as
"possessing a boldness and delicacy which charm, being taken, at the
height of his genius, by the painter who knew the best how to idealize
the painting of portraits."

Such are illustrative instances from Germany, Italy, and Holland. As
yet, power rather than beauty presided, unless in the etchings of
Vandyck. But the reign of Louis XIV. was beginning to assert a
supremacy in engraving as in literature. The great school of French
engravers which appeared at this time brought the art to a
splendid perfection, which many think has not been equalled since, so
that Masson, Nanteuil, Edelinck, and Drevet may claim fellowship in
genius with their immortal contemporaries, Corneille, Racine, La
Fontaine, and Moliere.

[Illustration: THE SUDARIUM OF ST. VERONICA.

(Engraved by Claude Mellan from his own Design.)]

[Sidenote: Mellan.]

The school was opened by Claude Mellan, more known as en