2/12

About this artwork

Prent mogelijk gebruikt in: Thesaurus sacrarum historiarum veteris testamenti (...). Antwerpen: Gerard de Jode, 1579.

Art Historical Context

**2/12 by Harmen Jansz Muller (1579–1585)** This finely detailed engraving, measuring 213 × 258 mm, comes from the hand of Harmen Jansz, a prominent Dutch engraver active in the late Northern Renaissance. Created between 1579 and 1585, it likely served as plate 2 of 12 in Gerard de Jode's ambitious 1579 publication, *Thesaurus sacrar historiarum veteris test*, printed in Antwerp. This lavish atlas of Old Testament narratives was designed for devout audiences, blending scholarly text with vivid illustrations to illuminate sacred history. Engraving, Muller's favored medium, involved incising intricate lines into a copper plate, inking it, and pressing paper to capture every nuanced stroke. This technique revolutionized image distribution in 16th-century Europe, making high-quality religious art accessible beyond elite patrons amid the religious upheavals of the Reformation. Antwerp, a bustling hub of printmaking under publishers like de Jode, rivaled Italy in innovation, fostering works that educated and inspired the faithful. As part of this thesaurus, *2/12* exemplifies how prints bridged art and devotion, preserving biblical stories for study and prayer. Muller's precise style reflects the era's meticulous draftsmanship, inviting visitors to appreciate the enduring power of these portable masterpieces.