Jan Collaert II (aka Hans
Collaert II) (c1561–c1620) (BM attribution); or
Jan Collaert I (aka Hans
Collaert I) (Rijksmuseum attribution)
“Saul Commits Suicide”, 1579, from the
series of four plates, “The Story of David and Saul” (aka “Theatrum Biblicum
Hoc Est Historiae Sacrae Veteris et Novi Testamenti Tabulis Aeneis Expressae”),
after Ambrosius Francken I (aka Ambrosius Vrancx) (c1544–1618),
originally published by Gerard de Jode (aka Geeraert de Jode; Geerart de
Jode; Gheerde de Jode; Girard de Jode; Gerardo de Jode; Gheraerde de Jode) (1516/17–1591).
This impression is from the Nicolaes Visscher II (aka Nicolaas Visscher;
Claes Claesz Visscher; Nicolai Vischer) (1649–1702) edition (1643) published
in Amsterdam.
Engraving on fine laid paper backed with
a support sheet and with a faded hand-written remark in brown ink below the
platemark.
Size: (sheet) 26.8 x 33 cm; (plate) 21.1
x 30 cm; (image borderline) 21 x 29.8 cm.
Lettered in a single line of Latin below
the image borderline: “Pugnatur, fugiunt, proprio, cadit ense Tyrannus, Atque
peregrinis dat sua tela Deis. 1.Reg. 31. 8”.
State iii (of iii) with the capitalisation of “Deis” and the addition
of the number “8”.
New Hollstein (Dutch & Flemish) 47.III
(The Collaert Dynasty); Mielke 20.
The British Museum offers the following
description of this print:
“Saul and his armour-bearer kill
themselves with their swords. Saul seen dead on the ground, run through by his
own sword; his armour-bearer seen to right, falling on his sword; a shield,
decorated with a head of a Medusa, seen in the foreground; behind, the
Philistines fighting against the Israelites; Saul and his armour-bearer seen
escaping to left; after Ambrosius Francken. 1579”
See also the description offered by the
Rijksmuseum:
Condition: crisp and well-printed
impression with no sign of wear to the printing plate, backed with a support
sheet of fine archival/millennium quality washi paper. The engraving has
reasonably wide margins (1.7 cm on the sides; 4 cms at the top; 1.9 on the
bottom) and the sheet is in excellent condition (i.e. there are no tears,
holes, creases, significant stains or foxing) with an antique hand-written
report in faded brown ink below the printed text line.
I am selling this eye-catching and very
rare engraving showing Saul’s companion (an armour-bearer) committing suicide
by falling on his sword while the battle of Giboa between the Philistines and
the Israelites rages in the distance, for the total cost of AU$278 (currently
US$193.38/EUR170.85/GBP152.08) including postage and handling to anywhere in
the world (but not, of course, any import duties/taxes imposed by some
countries).
If you are interested in purchasing this
illustration to the Old Testament with multiple narratives—note Saul and his
armour-bearer in the middle-distance at left fleeing the Philistines before later
committing suicide as shown in the foreground—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
For those interested in the verses from
the Old Testament that this engraving illustrates, see the following NIV translation
of the relevant passage (1 Samuel 31):
1 Now the
Philistines fought against Israel; the Israelites fled before them, and many
fell dead on Mount Gilboa.
2 The Philistines
were in hot pursuit of Saul and his sons, and they killed his sons Jonathan,
Abinadab and Malki-Shua.
3 The fighting
grew fierce around Saul, and when the archers overtook him, they wounded him
critically.
4 Saul said to
his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and run me through, or these uncircumcised
fellows will come and run me through and abuse me.” But his armor-bearer was
terrified and would not do it; so Saul took his own sword and fell on it.
5 When the
armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he too fell on his sword and died with
him.
6 So Saul and his
three sons and his armor-bearer and all his men died together that same day.
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