Jan de Bisschop (1628-1671) was famous and important in the 17th century but is largely unknown now. His reputation rested on the usefulness of two books of etchings issued (with texts in Dutch and Latin) toward the end of his short life - Signorum Veterum Icones in 1668 and Paradigmata Graphices variorum Artificum in 1671. Together these works are remembered today (in the tiny world of scholars who remember these things) as the Icones and the Paradigmata. Figures in the prints were based on Classical and contemporary Italian models taken from painting and sculpture and were intended as a digest of poses and treatments for the use of working artists throughout Europe.
Scans of etchings from Rijksmuseum