Petrus Arendzen made several hundred etchings so I have been forced to make a selection. However, it is my intention eventually to catalogue and publish as much of his work as I can.
Most of the etchings on these pages are copies from Old Masters. However, for brevity, I have not indicated in the titles of the etchings that they are “after” the originals.
The Rijksmuseum lists more than one hundred works by Petrus. If you click the link to the Rijksmuseum under ‘Useful Links’ you can search their collection.
The Laughing Cavalier by Frans Hals.
The original Frans Hals painting is hanging in the Wallace Collection in London. Petrus made two etchings of ‘The Laughing Cavalier’ – one is large and intended to be hung – my sister, Theresa Whiteside, has a framed copy – and the other was smaller and intended for reproduction in a portfolio. The picture shown here is of the smaller etching.
The gallery that housed this painting at The Wallace Collection was closed once a week so that Petrus could work on this etching undisturbed.