Information
The Prints and Drawings Department was founded and grew alongside the development of the Romanian Academy Library, from the establishment of the Romanian Academic Society in 1867. From its initial collection, consisting of donations by Romanian collectors and a series of acquisitions, it has evolved into a significant collection of engravings from the Dutch and Flemish Schools – around 2,000 pieces spanning the period from the sixteenth to the twentieth century.
The collection captures the evolution of Flemish and Dutch engraving, from Renaissance masters to modernists, with a chronological perspective on key artists. The Dutch print collection in particular is well represented with a plethora of seventeenth-century artists centered around Rembrandt van Rijn, featuring 128 engravings. There is also a more modest collection of engravings by Rembrandt’s contemporaries, such as Jan van de Velde II, Adriaen Jansz van Ostade, Cornelis Visscher, Jacob Isaackszoon van Ruisdael, Karel Dujardin, Allaert Pietersz van Everdingen, Reinier Nooms (also known as “Zeeman,” meaning “sailor”).
The Flemish School, which often overlaps with the Dutch one, invites us to explore the art of major sixteenth-century exponents, starting with artists who were active in the Netherlands, including Paul Brill, Maerten de Vos, Theodor de Bry, Hans Jan Baptiste Collaert. The prolific Sadeler family is singled out for special attention, in particular the brothers Aegidius Sadeler, who portrayed from life the major Romanian historical figure Mihai Viteazul, Johannes Sadeler I, and Raphael Sadeler I. The seventeenth century is dominated by Anthony van Dyck’s portraits and works by influential printmakers such as Nicolaes de Bruyn, Abraham Genoels, Gaspar Bouttats, and the Wierix brothers, exemplifying the diversity and techniques of their era.
Anca Gabriela Vitan, art historian (December 2025)