|
Jacob van Reesbroeck was asked by Balthasar Moretus II (1615-1674) to produce four portraits of members of the Moretus family, the owners of the Plantin Press in Antwerp.
The Plantin Press was established by Christophe Plantin (c. 1520-1589). After Plantin's death, his firm was taken over by his son-in-law, Jan Moretus. Balthasar II Moretus, the son of Jan II Moretus, took over the running of the Plantin publishing house on the death of Balthasar I Moretus, who had remained single. Although Balthasar II Moretus initially continued to publish numerous historical and literary works, the proportion of religious editions had risen to nearly 100% by the time of his death in 1674. The highly lucrative nature of the exporting of liturgical works to Spain led to the Plantin press discontinuing all other printing work. The firm began to decline in the second half of the 17th century.
|
