About this sheet
This original copper engraving from Pieter Mortier's illustrated Bible, published in Amsterdam circa 1700, shows two scenes from the Apocrypha on one sheet. The subjects are Susanna (Daniel 13), the two elders who accused Susanna are stoned, and Bel and the Dragon (Daniel 14), Daniel destroys the idol Bel. It is plate 133 of the series, a fine example of Dutch Baroque biblical engraving with the upper and lower compositions each set in its own engraved frame.
The upper scene illustrates the story of Susanna, given as Daniel chapter 13, verse 61, captioned De twee onkuische belagers van Susanna gesteenigt, the two lecherous accusers of Susanna stoned. Exposed by Daniel's questioning, the two elders who had falsely accused her are put to death by the people with stones before a classical gateway.
The lower scene takes Daniel chapter 14, verse 1, the story of Bel, captioned Den afgodt Bel door Daniel vernieldt, the idol Bel destroyed by Daniel. The king and his courtiers stare in consternation at the great statue of Bel on its pedestal, while the offering vessels lie on the floor, their contents proved to have been eaten by the priests and not the god.
This copper engraving comes from the illustrated Bible published in Amsterdam by Pieter Mortier around 1700, a landmark of Dutch Baroque book illustration that set more than four hundred biblical scenes before the reader. Each sheet pairs two episodes, framed like pictures on a wall and headed by engraved cartouches with the chapter and verse and captions in Dutch and French. The plate is signed Picart inv. for the designer Bernard Picart; the engraver's signature at lower right is only partly legible. The project brought together many of the most accomplished artists in the Netherlands, among them Gerard Hoet, Arnold Houbraken and Bernard Picart, and its theatrical compositions and rich tonal engraving show Dutch Baroque printmaking at its most confident.
Printed on laid paper with full margins and a blank verso, the engraving is uncoloured, as issued. Framed in a simple dark or gilt moulding with a generous mount, a Mortier Bible sheet makes a handsome feature in a study, reading room or place of worship, and collectors often build themed groups around a single book of the Bible or a favourite figure.
The sheet is in good condition for its age, with light toning, some spotting and a frayed, chipped right edge, all confined to 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.
