Harpocrates, the God of Silence
Medium
Engraving; New Holl.'s first state of two
Dimensions
Sheet: 19 in. × 14 5/8 in. (48.2 × 37.2 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1951
Accession Number
51.501.6334
Tags
Art Historical Context
Created in 1593 by the Dutch engraver Jan Muller, working with his father Harmen Jansz. Muller, this striking print depicts Harpocrates, the Greco-Egyptian god of silence and secrets. The figure, shown with a raised finger to lips, embodies the ancient ideal of discretion and contemplative restraint. As an engraving—the first of two states—this work exemplifies the refined printmaking techniques flourishing in the Netherlands during the late Renaissance, when artists used the medium to circulate classical themes across Europe. Muller’s precise linework and dramatic contrasts capture the god’s...
About the Artist
Jan Muller|Harmen Jansz. Muller · 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...