Jan Baptist Barbé or Jan-Baptist Barbé (referred to as Jean-Baptiste Barbé in French language sources) (1578–1649) was a Flemish engraver, publisher and art dealer active in Antwerp. He is known for his engravings after his own designs as well as for his reproductive engravings. Life Barbé was born in Antwerp as the son of the Antoon Barbé and Joanna Ceels. His father was a composer and choir conductor and organist of the St. James' Church in Antwerp. Jan Baptist Barbé was baptized in the Antwerp Cathedral on 28 July 1578. In 1595 he entered the studio of Philippe Galle. Not satisfied with what he could learn from famous artists from his time working in Antwerp, Barbé travelled to Italy to perfect his art. During his stay in Italy which likely commenced in 1606, he was in contact with Rubens and commenced to make reproductive engravings after Rubens' works. Upon his return from Italy he became in 1610 a master of the Antwerp Guild of St. Luke. Later when Barbé was involved in judicial action against the engraver Nicolaas Lauwers for infringement of privileges relating to prints he had created, he received the support of Rubens. Barbé married Christien (or Christina) Wierix, the daughter of the prominent engraver and publisher Hieronymus Wierix on 30 March 1620. According to the contemporary notes of the painter Erasmus Quellinus II, Barbé was a very ugly person, while his daughter, who was a gifted engraver, was counted among 'the most beautiful women of Antwerp'. Hieronymus Wierix, the father of his wife, had died in 1619 before the couple had married. Not long after his marriage Barbé had a set of Dürer prints confiscated in the house of his deceased father-in-law in 1620. In 1635 Barbé went even further in order to lay his hands on some copper plates from members of the Wiericx family. His sister-in-law Cecilia Wiericx (born in 1592) had moved in with Barbé and his wife Christien in 1620. She had brought with her some furniture and many precious copper plates, which she had handed to Barbé. They wanted to use the plates to make prints, with the goal of selling them for export. Wen after some time Cecilia wanted to make a final balance of the sales and have the profits distributed, Barbé did not hesitate to have his sister-in-law Cecilia declared insane in order to put her property under legal