About this sheet
This original copperplate engraving from Pieter Mortier's illustrated Bible, Amsterdam circa 1700, shows two biblical scenes on one sheet: Ezekiel 37, the vision of the valley of dry bones, and Ezekiel 40, Ezekiel sees the form of the new Temple. The upper scene illustrates Ezekiel chapter 37, the vision of the valley of dry bones, where the prophet prophesies over the bones and they come together, are covered with flesh and rise up alive. Ezekiel stands in a shaft of light while skeletons and reviving bodies stir around him, a powerful image of resurrection.
The lower scene shows Ezekiel chapter 40, where the prophet is shown the form of a new Temple by a man with a measuring reed. The two figures measure along the floor of a deep perspective of columns and gateways, a striking architectural composition. Each scene carries its own engraved caption with the scripture reference in Dutch and French, and the sheet is numbered 121 in the lower margin.
The engraving comes from the Bible published by Pieter Mortier in Amsterdam circa 1700, a work in which Dutch Baroque book illustration reached a grand scale. Designs by artists such as Gerard Hoet, Arnold Houbraken and Bernard Picart were cut in copper by a team of Amsterdam engravers, and the paired scenes were printed on large sheets of laid paper. The upper scene is signed by Bernard Picart as both designer and engraver, while the lower margin names Jan Goeree as designer and Baptist and Sluyter as engravers. The sheet is printed on laid paper with full margins, and the reverse is blank.
Framed with a wide mount, the sheet makes a strong statement in a study, a parish office or a library, and it hangs well alongside other Dutch biblical engravings of the period. It is also an accessible entry point for collectors interested in the Old Testament prophets.
The sheet is in good condition for its age, with light toning, a small spot and minor creasing and chipping confined to the edges of the margins; the image is clean.
This is an original antique print, not a modern reproduction. This item is sold unframed. Any framed or interior images are shown for presentation and inspiration only, unless the listing explicitly states that the item is sold framed.
