or BOLSUERD, Boetius Adam a. Pefee, by Girard Thibault of Antwerp, where it was published, A.D. 1628; and to these he signs his name, "Scheltius," and sometimes "Sheldric Bolfwert," adding the word Bruxelle. His name is usually affixed to his plates in this manner, "S.A. Bolfwert."

It is very necessary to caution the collectors of this master's works (those especially who are not very conversant with them), that many of them have been copied in a very careful manner, so as easily to deceive the unskilled. Some of these copies, as the Marriage of the Virgin, from Rubens, &c., are by Lauwers. But those which are most likely to mislead, are by Ragot, a French engraver, employed by Mariette the printseller, who frequently meeting with the reverses or counterproofs from the prints of Bolfwert, gave them to the engraver; and he imitated them with the utmost precision. By this means the impressions from the plate copied come upon the paper the same way with the original. It is true his name is usually affixed at the bottom; but it is often cut off, and then the copy is not easily distinguished from the original.

Among other prints thus imitated by Ragot from Bolfwert, is Christ crucified between the two Thieves, where the soldier is represented piercing his side, from Rubens.

Among the variety of estimable engravings by this great artist, the few following may be here mentioned:

1. The Brazen Serpent, a large plate, lengthwise, from Rubens. Those impressions are the most estimable which have only the word Antwerpia at the right-hand corner, without the name of Giles Hendrix, which was afterwards inserted above it, and part of the small circle over the arms is left white.

2. Abraham offering his son Isaac, a large plate nearly square, from Theodore Rombout.

3. The education of the Virgin by Saint Anne, a middling-sized upright plate, from Rubens. Those impressions without the name of Hendrix are the most esteemed.

4. The marriage of the Virgin, a middling-sized upright plate, from the same painter. Those impressions are best in which the word Antwerpia is not added to the name of Hendrix.

5. The adoration of the wise men, a middling-sized upright plate, from the same. The good impressions of this plate have the name of Vanden Enden.

6. The feast of Herod, in which is represented the daughter of Herodias, presenting the head of John the Baptist to her mother, a large plate, lengthwise, from the same.

7. The miraculous draught of fishes; a large print lengthwise, on three plates, from the same.

8. Christ crowned with thorns; a large upright plate from Vandyck. An admirable print; with the name of Vanden Enden.

9. A crucifixion, where a figure appears presenting the sponge to Christ, St John and the Virgin are standing at the foot of the cross, and Mary Magdalene is reclining towards it; a large upright plate, from Vandyck. Of this admirable engraving there appear to have been four different impressions; though Baas mentions only three, and says that in the first the left hand of St John is hid. The chief marks of those impressions are: In the 1st, St John's left hand appears on the shoulder of the Virgin (A).

(A) Prints of this impression are very rare, and at sales have been known to fetch from 25l. to 30l. In the 2d impression, the hand is erased: This Bafan calls the first impression; and it sells at a very high price. In the 3d impression, the hand is restored: In the 4th, it is again erased: And in both, the short strokes upon the ground near the great toe of the figure who holds the sponge are crossed with second strokes; which cross-hatchings are not in the two first impressions. There are several other crucifixions by the same master after different designs. 10. The god Pan playing upon his flute, from Jordans. 11. Mercury and Argus, a large plate lengthwise, from the same. 12. A drunken Silenus, supported by a satyr, and another figure; a middling sized upright plate from Rubens. Of these three last, the impressions without the address of Bloteling are the best. 13. A chase of lions: a large plate lengthwise, from the same. 14. A variety of landscapes.