Saulus Rex, from Sinners of the Old and New Testament
Medium
Engraving on ivory laid paper
Dimensions
Plate: 27.1 × 17.2 cm (10 11/16 × 6 13/16 in.); sheet: 34.4 × 23.8 cm (13 9/16 × 9 3/8 in.)
Classification
engraving
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
268046
Art Historical Context
Willem van Swanenburgh’s 1611 engraving *Saulus Rex* belongs to the series *Sinners of the Old and New Testament*, a group of prints that brought biblical cautionary tales to a wide audience. Created during the Dutch Golden Age, when printmaking flourished as an accessible art form, the work uses the precision of engraving on ivory laid paper to render intricate details that would have been impossible in paintings alone. At roughly 27 by 17 centimeters, the plate size made the image suitable for inclusion in books or for private devotional use. The subject, King Saul, exemplifies the series’ ...