Pieter Withoos

Pieter Withoos was a draftsman documented as active between 1670 and 1687. His known oeuvre consists of meticulous natural history studies rendered in drawing media, reflecting the 17th-century European focus on detailed scientific observation and systematic classification.

The five works represented in museum collections exemplify his specialized interest in botanical and zoological subjects. His ornithological studies include depictions of the Common Snipe (Gallinago gallinago) and the finely detailed A Great Titmouse (Parus major) Perched on a Branch. Withoos also focused on micro-subjects, notably in A Sheet with Seven Different Insects, and executed botanical drawings such as the Gallic Rose (Rosa gallica L. ‘Versicolor’).

The surviving output of Pieter Withoos is held in major international institutions, establishing the historical credibility of his draftsmanship. Known works are preserved by the Rijksmuseum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Today, many Pieter Withoos prints and original drawings are considered part of the public domain, and his legacy endures through the availability of high-quality prints derived from these specialized natural history studies.