Plate 6, from Landscapes with Scenes from the Old and New Testament and Ovid’s Metamorphoses
1574
Medium
Etching on ivory laid paper
Dimensions
Plate: 12.5 × 18.5 cm (4 15/16 × 7 5/16 in.); sheet: 18.1 × 26.2 cm (7 3/16 × 10 3/8 in.)
Classification
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
268562
Art Historical Context
Hans Bol’s *Plate 6, from with Scenes from the Old New Testament and Ovid’soses* (1574) is a delicate etching on ivory laid paper measuring a compact 12.5 × 18.5 cm. Created in Antwerp during the height of the Dutch Golden Age's early stirrings, this print exemplifies Bol’s mastery as a Flemish artist renowned for intricate landscape series. Working in a Mannerist style, Bol populated his scenes with tiny biblical figures—drawing from both Testaments—and mythological episodes from Ovid, blending sacred and classical narratives in a harmonious, detailed backdrop of rolling hills, forests, and d...
About the Artist
Hans Bol · 1534–1593
Hans Bol (1534–1593) was a Netherlandish painter, draftsman, and miniaturist known for his exquisite landscape compositions and detailed miniature paintings. Born in Mechelen (Malines) in the Spanish Netherlands, he trained there and became a member of the Guild of Saint Luke. His early career was disrupted by the religious upheavals of the Dutch Revolt; the sack of Mechelen in 1572 forced him to ...