Zebulun, from the series The Twelve Patriarchs
Medium
Etching; second state
Dimensions
Sheet: 8 5/16 x 10 5/8 in. (21.1 x 27 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1949
Accession Number
49.95.117
Tags
Art Historical Context
"Zebulun, from the series *The Twelve Patriarchs*" is a striking 1550 etching by Dutch Renaissance artist Maarten van Heemskck, with engraving assistance from Dirck Volckertsz Cohert. This second-state impression captures one of the twelve sons of the biblical Jacob, whose tribes formed the foundation of ancient Israel. Produced during the Northern Renaissance in the Netherlands, the print reflects the era's fascination with classical antiquity and biblical narratives, blending religious devotion with emerging artistic innovation. The image features a muscular male nude figure of Zebulun, ass...