Deodate del Mont

Conrad Waumans after Deodate del Mont

Deodate del Mont

Antwerp, 1643

Engraving

190 x 130 mm

£85

A finely executed engraving after a self portrait by del Monte Deodat van der Mont was born in September 1582 in Sint-Truiden. His parents were Ghuilliam van der Mont, a goldsmith, and Margriet Pruynen His father moved to Antwerp in 1590 after he was forced to leave the Roman Catholic Diocese of Liège due to accusations of money forgery. Del Monte’s life is closely connected to Rubens. According to contemporary witnesses, del Monte and Rubens were best friends from an early age. It is believed that he became a pupil of Rubens between 1598 and 1600 Del Monte was in Wolfgang Wilhelm’s service since the Count Palatine knighted him in 1626 and allowed him to have a coat-of-arms, and he entered the service of the then governors of the Southern Netherlands, the Archdukes Albert and Isabella. He also worked as an architect and military engineer for King Philip III of Spain. The King granted him several privileges that were threatened in his later years. In his later years his financial situation deteriorated, he died in 1644

period of service in the 1610s but this is unlikely since during this time there are ample records of del Monte’s presence in Antwerp. It is, however, likely that del Monte was in Wolfgang Wilhelm’s service since the Count Palatine knighted him in 1626 and allowed him to have a coat-of-arms.[2] It is further believed that he entered the service of the then governors of the Southern Netherlands, the Archdukes Albert and Isabella.[3] He also worked as an architect and military engineer for King Philip III of Spain. The King granted him several privileges that were threatened in his later years