Nicolaes de Bruyn was the son of Abraham De Bruyn

Abraham de Bruyn

Abraham de Bruyn, a Flemish engraver, was born at Antwerp in 1538. He established himself at Cologne about the year 1577, and died there very old. He is ranked among the Little Masters, on account of his plates being usually very small. He engraved in the manner of Wierix, and worked entirely with...

, and was born at Antwerp about 1570. Although he was instructed by his father in engraving

Engraving

Engraving is the practice of incising a design on to a hard, usually flat surface, by cutting grooves into it. The result may be a decorated object in itself, as when silver, gold, steel, or glass are engraved, or may provide an intaglio printing plate, of copper or another metal, for printing...

, he did not follow his example, either in the style of his execution, or in the size of his plates. He appears to have studied and to have formed his manner from the works of Lucas van Leyden

Lucas van Leyden

Lucas van Leyden , also named either Lucas Hugensz or Lucas Jacobsz, was a Dutch engraver and painter, born and mainly active in Leiden...

. His compositions are abundant, but he wanted taste in the selection of his forms. He finished his plates very neatly with the graver

Burin

Burin from the French burin meaning "cold chisel" has two specialised meanings for types of tools in English, one meaning a steel cutting tool which is the essential tool of engraving, and the other, in archaeology, meaning a special type of lithic flake with a chisel-like edge which was probably...

; but there is not much effect in his prints, from his ignorance of the management of the chiaroscuro

Chiaroscuro

Chiaroscuro in art is "an Italian term which literally means 'light-dark'. In paintings the description refers to clear tonal contrasts which are often used to suggest the volume and modelling of the subjects depicted"....

. Notwithstanding this defect, which was very general at the time in which he lived, his works possess considerable merit. He died at Amsterdam in 1656. He signed his plates sometimes with his initials N. de B., and sometimes with a monogram.

The following are his principal works:

Subjects from his own designs

• Adam and Eve in Paradise. 1600.
• Adam and Eve standing under the Tree of the Forbidden Pruit. 1631.
• The Israelites with the Daughters of Madian.
• The great Festival of the Jews after six years' bondage. 1617.
• King Balak speaking to the Prophet Balaam.
• The Prophet Jeremiah, with a Lion. 1608.
• The Vision of Ezekiel. 1600.
• David and Goliath. 1609.
• David meeting Abigail. 1608.
• The Queen of Sheba before Solomon. 1621.
• The Idolatry of Solomon. 1606.
• Nebuchadnezzar's Dream.
• Daniel in the Lions' Den.
• Susannah accused by the Elders.
• Susannah's Acquittal.
• The Stoning of the Two Elders.
• The Nativity of Christ. 1621.
• The Adoration of the Magi. 1608.
• The Repose in Egypt. 1621.
• The Murder of the Innocents. 1644.
• St. John preaching in the Wilderness.
• Christ preaching on the Mount.
• The Centurion imploring Christ.
• Christ's Entrance into Jerusalem.
• Christ bearing his Cross. 1617.
• The Crucifixion. 1610.
• The Resurrection. 1631.
• St. Paul preaching. 1621.
• St. Hubert. 1614.

• Orpheus playing, surrounded by Animals.
• A Family of Peasants.
• A Landscape, with Lions, Tigers, and Stags.
• A Spanish Assembly in a Forest.
• A set of six Patterns for Goldsmiths.
• A set of twelve of Quadrupeds. 1621.
• A set of twelve of Birds.
• A set of thirteen of Fishes.

Subjects after various masters

• St. John preaching in the Wilderness; after Lucas van Leyden.
• A Miracle wrought at the Tomb of St. James; after the same. 1600.
• The Golden Age; after A. Bloemaert
  Adriaan Bloemaert
  Adriaan Bloemaert, was the fourth son of Abraham Bloemaert, and received his first instruction from his father. He was sent to Italy, where he studied some time. He afterwards visited Vienna, where he met with employment, and ultimately settled at Salzburg, and was killed in a duel in 1668. He...
  
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• Four Landscapes, with historical figures; after G. van Coninxlo
  Gillis van Coninxloo
  Gillis van Coninxloo was a Dutch painter of forest landscapes, the most famous member of a large family of artists. He travelled through France, and lived in Germany for several years to avoid religious persecution....
  
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• Three Landscapes, with figures; after D. Vinckebooms
  David Vinckboons
  David Vinckboons was a Dutch Golden Age painter of Flemish origin.-Biography:Vinckboons was one of the most prolific and popular painters and print designers in the Netherlands...
  
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• A Landscape, with a Stag-hunt; after Jan Brueghel
  Jan Brueghel the Elder
  Jan Brueghel the Elder was a Flemish painter, son of Pieter Bruegel the Elder and father of Jan Brueghel the Younger. Nicknamed "Velvet" Brueghel, "Flower" Brueghel, and "Paradise" Brueghel, of which the latter two were derived from his floral still lifes which were his favored subjects, while the...
  
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• A Landscape, with Moses defending the Daughters of Jethro; after J. Bol
  Ferdinand Bol
  Ferdinand Bol was a Dutch artist, etcher, and draftsman. Although his surviving work is rare, it displays Rembrandt's influence; like his master, Bol favored historical subjects, portraits, numerous self-portraits, and single figures in exotic finery.The street Ferdinand Bolstraat in Amsterdam was...
  
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• Four of the Seasons; after M. De Vos
  Marten de Vos
  Marten de Vos , also Maarten, was a leading Antwerp painter and draughtsman in the late sixteenth century.-Biography:Like Frans Floris, he travelled to Italy and adopted the mannerist style popular at the time. De Vos was also highly influenced by the colors of Venetian painting, and might have...
  
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• St. Cecilia; after Raphael
  Raphael
  Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino , better known simply as Raphael, was an Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance. His work is admired for its clarity of form and ease of composition and for its visual achievement of the Neoplatonic ideal of human grandeur...
  
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• A Knight on Horseback, accompanied by Time, and followed by the Devil; after A. Dürer
  Albrecht Dürer
  Albrecht Dürer was a German painter, printmaker, engraver, mathematician, and theorist from Nuremberg. His prints established his reputation across Europe when he was still in his twenties, and he has been conventionally regarded as the greatest artist of the Northern Renaissance ever since...
  
  . 1618.