Antique Print-SAINT GREGORY-POPE-Bollandus-Bouttats-1742

Description: This copperplate engraving originates from: 'Acta Sanctorum …', published 1643-1940. Acta Sanctorum (Acts of the Saints) is an encyclopedic text in 68 folio volumes of documents examining the lives of Christian saints, in essence a critical hagiography, which is organised according to each saint's feast day. It begins with two January volumes, published in 1643, and ended with the Propylaeum to December published in 1940. The Bollandists, named for the Jesuit scholar Jean Bolland ('Bollandus', 1596–1665), oversaw this mammoth undertaking, first in Antwerp and then in Brussels. After Bolland his assistant Godfried Henschen (Henschenius) took over. When the Jesuits were suppressed by the Habsburg governor of the Low Countries in 1788, the 'Bollandists' continued their work, in the Tongerlo Abbey. From 1643 to 1794, 53 folio volumes of Acta Sanctorum had been published, covering the saints from January 1 to October 14. After the creation of the Kingdom of Belgium, the Bollandists were permitted to reassemble, working from the Royal Library of Belgium in Brussels. This plate is from the 'Acta Sanctorum Maii.' volume, published in 1742. (Source wikipedia and other)

Artists and Engravers: Jean Bolland (Latin: Johannes Bollandus) (1596-1665) was a Jesuit priest and prominent Southern Netherlandish hagiographer.. Plates are engraved by Filibertus / Philip Bouttats after Jan Sebastiaan van Loijbos. Filibertus Bouttats (c. 1654-after 1731 Flemish), was the son of Frederik Bouttats and a student of the reknown Romeyn de Hooghe.