(Henry), usually called Count Goudt, was born of a noble family at Utrecht, in 1570; and was a knight of the Palatinate. Being passionately fond of the arts, particularly painting and engraving, and desirous of engaging in them, he applied himself diligently to drawing, and made a great proficiency therein. He went to Rome, to examine the works of the great masters in that city. Here he contracted an intimacy with that excellent artist Adam Elsheimer; studied his manner of penciling, delineating, and colouring; and made his works models for his own imitation. He pre-engaged all the pictures that his friend and favourite could finish, and even paid liberally for them before-hand; by which means he found himself in possession of a most desirable treasure. Those pictures which Goudt himself painted were neatly and delicately touched, in colour and pencil resembling Elsheimer, though they were in no degree equal to the paintings of that admirable master. On his return to his native country, a young woman who was in love with him, and desirous of fixing his affections upon her, gave him in his drink a love philtre; which, however, terminated in a very melancholy manner, by depriving him totally of his senses; and in the dreadful state of idiotism he dragged on a miserable life to the age of 69, his death happening in 1639. It is remarkable, that though loit to every other subject, when painting was spoken of he would discourse upon it in a very rational manner.

Goudt practised engraving as well as painting, and made seven beautiful prints after the pictures of Elsheimer, which are well known to the curious, and are to be met with in most choice collections. He worked with the graver only, in a very neat style; and produced a most powerful effect, not by strengthening the strokes, according to the usual method, but by crossing them with additional strokes, equally neat, and that five or six times, one over another, in the deep shadows. Considering the precision with which he executed his engravings, the freedom of handling the graver which may be discovered in them, is very astonishing. The weeds and other parts of the foreground in that admirable print of the Ceres, are very finely expressed. The heads of the figures are correctly drawn, and the other extremities are managed in a judicious manner. The seven prints done by him, from Elsheimer, mentioned above, are, 1. Ceres drinking from a pitcher. An old woman appears holding a candle at the door of the cottage, and a boy naked standing by her is laughing and pointing at the goddess. For which contempt he was metamorphosed by her into a frog. The powerful and striking effect of this engraving cannot be properly described. This print is distinguished also by the name of the forcery. 2. The flight into Egypt: A night-scene, in which the moon and stars are introduced with great success. 3. The angel with Tobit, who is drawing a fish by his side. The back-ground is a landscape; the weeds in the foreground, and the branches of the trees in front, as well as the foliage and weeds hanging from them, are beautifully expressed. 4. The angel with Tobit, crossing a stream of water: The back-ground, a landscape. 5. Baucis and Philomen entertaining Jupiter and Mercury. 6. A landscape, called the Aurora, representing the dawn of day. The effect is very beautiful. 7. The beheading of St John in prison, a very small upright oval print, which is by far the rarest.