Pieter Willem van Megen

Pieter Willem van Megen was an artist active in the late 18th century, with a documented period of output spanning 1760 through 1783. His known surviving works consist entirely of prints, demonstrating expertise across portraiture, landscape, and classical subjects characteristic of the period.

Van Megen’s works are represented in significant institutional collections, notably the Rijksmuseum, which holds nine of his prints. His documented oeuvre highlights a proficiency in rendering historical figures and contemporary sitters, as seen in the examples Portret van Filips van Marnix, heer van Sint-Aldegonde, Portret van Sybrand Feitama, and Portret van Maria Duyst van Voorhout. His thematic range also includes specific landscape studies, such as Kerk in een landschap, and mythological subjects, evidenced by the print Bacchus.

The documentation of these works in major collections facilitates ongoing research into 18th-century graphic arts. Today, museum-quality images of his output, often available as high-quality prints, ensure the continued study and preservation of Van Megen's contribution to the history of prints during his active period.