* Albert Flamen Bruges circa 1620 - after 1693 Paris

Although no certain biographical information regarding Flamen is known, he is believed to have been Flemish-born, but to have worked almost entirely in France; all his published prints bear a Paris address.  One of his engravings was a title-page to a series of prints by Jacques Callot, and the influence of that artist is apparent in many of Flamen's drawings, both in the present sketchbook and elsewhere.  He did, however, also produce many drawings and prints of other types, with themes ranging from emblematic illustrations to natural history (including a celebrated series of depictions of fresh- and salt-water fish).  At least two other sketchbooks by the artist are known, both larger than this but in many respects very similar in style: one was sold, New York, Sotheby's, 23 January 2001, lot 135, the other is in Berlin (see E. Bock and J. Rosenberg, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, die Niederländischen Meister. Beschreibendes Verzeichnis sämtlicher Zeichnungen, Berlin 1930, vol. I, p. 135). 

An unusual feature of this sketchbook is that two sheets at each end have been prepared with a thick white gouache, and drawn on in silverpoint, rather than pen.  With the relatively high cost of paper, 17th-century Dutch and Flemish artists did in fact often work in this way, on so-called tafeletten - sheets of paper prepared like this with a thick ground, which could be drawn on in metalpoint and then re-coated and re-used as necessary.  For a fascinating account of this practice, see Ernst van de Wetering, 'Verdwenen tekeningen en het gebruik van afwisbare tekenplankjes en 'tafeletten',' Oud Holland, CV, 1991, pp. 210-27.