Plate 15: The Death of Abimelech, from 'The Battles of the Old Testament'
ca. 1590–ca. 1610
Medium
Etching
Dimensions
Sheet: 7 7/8 in. × 11 in. (20 × 28 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
51.501.3381
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the dramatic world of biblical warfare with *Plate 15: The of Abimelech*, Antonio Tempesta's renowned series *The Battles of Old Testament*. Created around 1590–1610, this etching captures the fateful moment from Judges 9, where the ambitious king Abimelech meets his end—struck by a millstone dropped by a woman from a tower, then finished by a soldier's sword. Italian Mannerist artist Tempesta, famed for his dynamic battle scenes and lively depictions of horses and soldiers, designed the composition, while Flemish publisher Nicolaus van Aelst brought it to life through expert printin...
About the Artist
Antonio Tempesta|Nicolaus van Aelst · 1555–1630
Antonio Tempesta (1555–1630), known as 'Il Tempestino,' was a Florentine painter and printmaker whose extraordinary output of approximately 1,700 etchings made him one of the most influential printmakers of the early Baroque period. Born in Florence and trained under Santi di Tito and the Flemish master Joannes Stradanus, he enrolled in the Accademia del Disegno in 1576 before relocating to Rome i...