DROESHOUT, Martin (fl.1623-1640) — London and Madrid
Engraver. Engraved a pictorial map for John Smith, ‘The true travels adventures and observations of Captaine John Smith in Europe, Asia, Affrica, and America’ 1630; also the frontispiece featuring a terrestrial hemisphere and dated 1632 for ‘The arraignement of the whole creature, at the barre of religion, reason, and experience’ 1631, the anonymous text attributed variously to Stephen Jerome, Robert Harris, Robert Henderson, or Robert Hobson (the dedicatory epistle is signed “R.H.”). Chiefly known as a portrait and title-page engraver, famous in particular for the 1623 portrait of Shakespeare which adorns the First Folio, but also for portraits of John Foxe, John Donne, Queen Elizabeth, etc.
Confusion exists between various people of this name, including the Brussels-born painter Martin Droeshout (1573?-1641?) and his son, also Martin, born in 1607, but this engraver appears to be the painter’s nephew, the Martin Droeshout born in London and baptised at the Dutch Church 26 Apr 1601, the son of Michael Droeshout and his wife, Susanneken van der Ersbe, and brother to John Droeshout (see BME 2011). He evidently became a catholic and emigrated to Spain, where a number of prints dated 1635-1640, signed with a partially anglicised form of his name as “Droeswood”, are recorded. He is thought to have died in the Netherlands in about 1650. “His portraits, which are the best part of his works, have nothing but their scarcity to recommend them” (Strutt).
BM. Bryan. Globe. Griffiths. Hake. Hind. Johnson. LHD. ODNB. Strutt. Wornum.