(b Amsterdam, 1587; d Amsterdam, 19 June 1652). Dutch draughtsman, printmaker and publisher. His father was a ship’s carpenter. Visscher’s master is unknown, although Constantijn Huygens the elder suggested that Jacques de Gheyn the younger taught him to etch. Visscher is recorded as an engraver in Amsterdam in 1608, and his early engravings, from 1605 onwards, consist entirely of reproductive prints after the designs of Flemish artists, in particular David Vinckboons, who settled in Amsterdam in 1602. In the second decade of the 17th century Visscher etched and published landscapes of a strong local character, of both real and imaginary views, to the designs of young Dutch draughtsmen such as Jan and Esaias van de Velde (i) and Willem Buytewech. These proved extremely popular and formed the basis of Visscher’s early success as a publisher. He became the most important Amsterdam print publisher, specializing in portraits, landscapes and maps, the elaborate borders of which were often to his own designs. He himself etched more than 200 plates.

• Visscher, Claes Jansz. (1587-1652)
  • Avercamp: (1) Hendrick Avercamp, §1(ii): Drawings
  • Netherlands, the, §III, 4(iv): Painting and graphic arts, c 1550–c 1680: Amsterdam
  • Netherlands, the, §IX, 1(ii)(a): Gold and silver, 1600–1813: Style and decoration
  • Porcellis, Jan
  • printmakers
    • Bruyn, de: (2) Nicolaes de Bruyn
    • Roghman: (1) Geertruydt Roghman
  • reproductive prints by others
    • Koren’, Vasily
  • works
    • Bruegel: (1) Pieter Bruegel I, §II, 2: Drawings and prints
    • Landscape painting, §II, 5(ii): 17th century: Northern Netherlands
    • Masters, anonymous, and monogrammists, §I: Master of the Small Landscapes
    • Prints, §II, 1(i): Subject-matter, before c 1700: Devotional, religious and moralizing
    • Prints, §II, 1(viii): Subject-matter, before c 1700: Landscape
    • Velde, van de (i): (2) Jan van de Velde II
    • Vinckboons: (1) David Vinckboons, §2: Drawings and prints