SCHUURMAN, Anna Maria van SCHUURMAN, Anna Maria van.- Engr. portrait.- Suyderhoef 'Anna Maria a Schurman.' 'Divini pictoris opus, Galestis imago...' Portrait 'te halver lijve' showing Anna Maria van Schuurman seated at a table, dressed in a robe w. a fur collar, her hand resting on an open book on the table.Van Someren, 5017: NOT in Muller, portretten: Wussin, Jonas Suyderhoef, Verzeichnis seiner Kupferstiche [Leipzig, 1861], item 78, with the address of Allardt, working in Amsterdam 1647 - 1675. The other address given by Wussin is 'C.[ornelis] Banheinningh, working in Leiden 1647 - 1657/58: Drugulin vol. II [1860], 19031: Johan van Beverwijck's book 'Wtnementheyt des vrouwelicken geslachts' ['the Excellence of Females'] discusses a wide variety of cases in which hundreds of famous women throughout history have shown themselves to be wiser, morally superior, more inventive, more caring & compassionate, and stronger than men. 'Dat in de selvige, soo na Ziele als na Lichaem de Vrouwe bovê de Man verre uytmunt. Waer door sy oock de grootste eñ wijste Mans onder haer gewelt brengt...'. One of the women portrayed by van Beverwijck is Anna Maria van Schuurman, here portrayed in copperengraving by Suyderhoef in about 1650 - 1660. Van Schuurman was the epitome of 17th c. female accomplishment, well versed in Greek and Latin, Hebrew, Arabic and Syrian, a skilled musician, highly interested in science, medicine and astronomy. She corresponded with Vossius, Spanheim, van Beverwijck, Christiaan Huygens and Mersenne and is said to have met Descartes. About 10 years before her death she met Jean de Labadie and joined his 'Labadisten' fraternity in Herford [West Phalia], denouncing everything she had learned and acquired over the years as 'afgodery' or idolatry. She died 1678. Portraits of her are rare. On Suyderhoef, see Waller, p. 318: Thieme Becker, vol. : Wurzbach, vol II, p. 677 - 679: 'Jonas Suyderhoef is einer der ausgezeichnetsten Meister und unübertroffen in der Wiedergabe des koloristischen Reizes seiner Originale...', In Wurzbach's list item 78: Den Hertog, 100 portretten, comp. item 67 for Lievens' painting. EUR 275.00
