Luyken’s 1704 engraving of Herod’s army fighting robbers in their caves

Jan (Johannes) Luyken (1649–1712) and Caspar Luyken (1672–1708)

“Herodes Beoorlogt de Roovers inde Rotsen door Soldaaten die in Kisten aan yzere kettingen hangende door windaasen neergelaaten worden” [“Herod fights the robbers in their caves” or “Herod conquers Jerusalem” or “Herod waging war the (?) on the Rock Cliffs by the Soldiers hanging by boxes suspended by iron chains coming down on (?) the people below (?) (see: http://www.antiquarianbiblical.com/pages/prints/printot/luykeno/luykeno.htm], 1704, published by Jan Covens (1697–1774) and Corneille Mortier (1688 active) in “Josephus Flavius & Basnage, Alle de werken” in the 1729 edition. (Note the first edition was published by Pieter Mortier in 1704, the second edition was published by Covens and Mortier in 1729, and the third edition was by Frans Houttuyn in 1747.)

Copper engraving on heavy laid paper with wide margins and centre fold (as published)

Size: (sheet) 47.8 x 57.4 cm; (plate) 33 x 42.5 cm

Lettered in the plate below the image borderline: (left) “Edit. à J. Cóvens et C. Mortier.”; (centre) “Herodes Beoorlogt de Roovers inde Rotsen door Soldaaten die in Kisten aan yzere kettingen hangende door windaasen neergelaaten worden”; (right) “Pag. 355” / “62”

Hollstein (Jan Luyken)

Condition: crisp impression with wide margins and centrefold (as published) professionally conserved on a fine archival support sheet to preserve the centrefold. The sheet is in superb condition for its age (i.e. there is no foxing, noteworthy stains or folds).

I am selling this large original engraving from 1704 by Jan Luyken and his son for a total cost of AU$136 (currently US$103.61/EUR93.54/GBP79.26 at the time of this listing) including postage and handling to anywhere in the world.

If you are interested in purchasing this visually arresting scene of Roman battle engineering, please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.

This print has been sold

Not only is this print very large but the portrayed battle scene is equally grand in its conception and breadth of what is presented. Luyken really knew how to showcase a battle! I suspect that I am not alone in being transfixed by all the featured gore and the mechanics of the Roman strategy for eradicating robbers in mountainside caves. For instance, I love the Roman’s engineering feat shown here of using a gigantic pulley system for lowering soldiers in boxes. I am also fascinated that nearly each rock pinnacle has a figure standing on it with arms theatrically raised. Moreover, the dark forces within me shamefully marvel—with repugnant horror—at the grisly positions of the falling and fallen robbers.