Simon Frisius
Illustration — Adolf van Nieuwenaar at the Battle of Amerongen: etching from 1613 to 1615 Simon de Vries, also known as Simon Frisius (born c. 1570–75, in Harlingen – died c. 1628–29, The Hague), was a Dutch engraver.
Also recorded as Simon de Vries · Simon Wynhoutsz. de Vries · Simon Wynhoutsz Frisius · Simon Weynouts Frisius
Simon Frisius

Simon Frisius · Public domain
- Born
- 1570 · Harlingen.
- Died
- 1628 · The Hague.
- Nationality
- Seventeen Provinces
- Occupation
- printmaker · master scribe · painter · etcher · copper engraver · draftsperson
- Languages
- Dutch
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Illustration — Adolf van Nieuwenaar at the Battle of Amerongen: etching from 1613 to 1615 Simon de Vries, also known as Simon Frisius (born c. 1570–75, in Harlingen – died c. 1628–29, The Hague), was a Dutch engraver.
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wikidata · Q3484277 · wikipedia · Simon Frisius
In this article
Life
Life
He started his career in Paris, and worked in Rouen and Amsterdam before moving to the Hague in 1611 where he became a member of the Confrerie Pictura. He travelled in France, Spain, Germany, Bohemia, and Russia.
Work
Work
Frisius is regarded as one of the first to bring etching to perfection. Abraham Bosse, in his treatise on the art of engraving, observes that the first artist to whom he was indebted for intelligence was Simon Frisius, whom he thinks was entitled to great credit, as being one of the first to handle the point with freedom and facility. His etchings are bold and masterly; and in his hatchings he approaches the neatness and strength of the graver. The prints of De Vries are scarce, and are much esteemed. The small figures which he occasionally introduced into his landscapes are correctly drawn. He frequently marked his plates S. F. fecit, but sometimes with the word fecit only.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
1570
Simon Frisius was born in 1570 at Harlingen.
1628
Simon Frisius died in 1628 at The Hague.
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
Harlingen.
Birth place
The Hague.
Death place
Principal works
The following are his principal works: • Illustration — Portrait of Michiel Coxie • A set of twelve small heads of female Saints and Sibyls; after his own designs. • A set of Portraits; after Hendrik Hondius. • A set of twelve plates of Birds and Butterflies; after Marcus Geerarts. • Twenty-five Views and Landscapes; entitled, Typographia variarum Regionum; after paintings of Matthijs Bril. 1611 and 1613–14. • A mountainous Landscape on the Sea-coast, with figures; after Hendrik Goltzius. • A Landscape, with a Tower; after the same. 1608. • A Landscape, with the story of Tobit and the Angel; after P. Lastman. • A Landscape, with the Flight into Egypt; after H. Hondius. • A Landscape, with two pastoral figures; highly finished, and very scarce. • Illustration — Sevilla 1605 - Simon Frissius

Gezicht op de Eerste Regulierspoort te Amsterdam (View of the First Regulierspoort in Amsterdam). D'oude Regulliers Poorte t'Amsterdam. (title on object). Made by Simon Frisius in circa 1601.
printmaker: Simon Frisius (1570 - 1628) · Rijksmuseum - RP-P-AO-27-4-1 (
References
Citations
References
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reference work
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Secondary witness
Further particulars
Held on the record
Further particulars
Open the remaining particulars
Simon Frisius is recorded as printmaker, master scribe, painter, etcher and copper engraver.
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 18 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Paintings
19,183 published records in this field, each with its sources named.
- Simon DenisArtist
- Simon Du BoisArtist
- Simon DuikerArtist
- Simon FaithfullArtist
- Simon HantaïArtist
- Simon HollósyArtist
- Simon Johannes van DouwArtist
- Simon KozhinArtist
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