About this sheet
This original copper engraving from Pieter Mortier's illustrated Bible, published in Amsterdam circa 1700, shows two Old Testament scenes on one sheet. The subjects are Judges 19, the Levite and his concubine at Gibeah, and Judges 21, the Benjamites carry off the daughters of Shiloh. It is plate 73 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 Judges chapter 19, verses 24 to 30, the dark episode of the Levite and his concubine at Gibeah, whose death leads the Levite to divide her body and send it throughout the tribes of Israel as a summons to justice.
The lower scene takes Judges chapter 21, verses 19 to 23, in which the surviving men of Benjamin, hidden in the vineyards, seize wives from among the daughters of Shiloh as they come out to dance at the yearly feast.
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 O. Elgers inv. at lower left for the designer Ottmar Elliger, with the imprint P. Mortier edit. cum Privil. 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 and frayed edges with small chips at the lower right corner; the engraved image is clean and crisp.
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.
