Frederik Bouttats the Younger

Frederik Bouttats the Younger (c. 1620–1676) was a Flemish engraver from Antwerp, part of the distinguished Bouttats family of artists and printmakers. The son of Frederik Bouttats the Elder, he carried forward the family’s reputation for finely crafted portraiture and reproductive engraving during the flourishing artistic climate of 17th-century Flanders. Trained in the rich visual traditions of Antwerp, Bouttats mastered the burin with a disciplined precision that made his work sought after by publishers and collectors across Europe.

He is best known for his engraved portraits of prominent historical and political figures, including Queen Christina of Sweden, Oliver Cromwell, and Charles Emmanuel, Duke of Savoy, as well as a number of religious and allegorical scenes. His engravings are characterized by their clean, controlled linework and delicate modeling of light and texture—hallmarks of the Flemish Baroque print tradition. While Bouttats was not known for stylistic innovation, his craftsmanship and consistency placed him among the reliable and accomplished engravers of his generation, preserving the likenesses and grandeur of Europe’s 17th-century elite with clarity and grace.