Elijah Fed by Ravens
late 16th–early 17th century
Medium
Pen and brown ink, brush and brown wash, heightened with white
Dimensions
6 9/16 x 8 1/8 in. (16.6 x 20.6 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Harry G. Sperling Fund, 2003
Accession Number
2003.516
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate drawing captures a pivotal moment from the biblical story of the prophet Elijah, who, while in hiding from King Ahab, was miraculously sustained by ravens bringing him bread and meat. Created in the late sixteenth or early seventeenth century by artists associated with Jan Muller and Abraham Bloemaert, the work reflects the Mannerist interests of Dutch artists at the time, blending dramatic narrative with elegant natural detail. The small scale—roughly the size of a postcard—suggests it may have served as a preparatory study or a collector’s piece meant for intimate viewing. Exe...
About the Artist
Jan Muller|Abraham Bloemaert · 1571–1628
**Jan Harmensz. Muller (1571–1628)** Born in Amsterdam in 1571, Jan Harmensz. Muller grew up immersed in the world of printmaking, as the son of the prominent engraver, publisher, and book printer Harmen Jansz. Muller. He studied under his father, mastering the engraving trade within the family business, The Gilded Compasses. Around 1589, Muller joined the workshop of Hendrick Goltzius in Haarlem...