Theodor van Merlen

Theodor van Merlen was an artist active for over three decades in the early to mid-seventeenth century, with documented activity spanning from 1619 to 1650. His known body of work consists of prints, indicating a proficiency in reproductive or original printmaking techniques consistent with the era.

Merlen specialized heavily in state and aristocratic portraiture. Documented works held in museum collections include regal depictions such as the Portret van Karel II, koning van Engeland, Portret van Jacobus II, koning van Engeland en Schotland, and the Portret van koning Filips IV van Spanje. He also documented prominent figures like Don Antonio Pimentel in the work Portret van Don Antonio Pimentel de Prado. Merlen’s thematic scope extended beyond secular portraiture, encompassing religious subjects such as The Miracles of Saint Ignatius of Loyola.

Five Theodor van Merlen prints are represented in major international institutions. These museum-quality works are preserved in the permanent collections of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The existence of these high-quality prints, many of which are now considered public domain, allows contemporary viewers access to the artist's historical output and secures his place within seventeenth-century graphic arts.