Harmen Jansz. Muller (1540–1617)
“Judah gives Tamar his Signet Ring” (aka “Judah Giving Tamar
the Pledge”), c1566 (1564–1568), after a drawing
by Maarten van Heemskerck (aka Maarten van Veen; Martin
Heemskerk) (1498–1574), plate 1 from the series of 4 engravings, “History of
Judah and Tamar”.
Note that the Rijksmuseum
holds a copy of this print in its first state published in “Thesaurus sacrarum
historiaru[m] veteris testame[n]ti, elega[n]tissimis imaginibus expressu[m]
excelle[n]tissimoru[m] in hac arte viroru[m] opera: nu[n]c primu[m] in luce[m]”
(“Treasure sacred stories of the Old Testament elegant pictures express the
finest works of art in this, now for the first time into the light”) by Gerard
de Jode (1516/17–1591) in Antwerp in 1579 (see http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.593928).
Engraving on fine laid paper
with a small margin, lifetime impression (first state of four), backed with a
support sheet.
Inscribed on plate within image
borderline; (lower right) “1 […] Meemskerck In. / [interlaced monogram of
Harmen Jansz. Muller] HMVL fe,”.
Lettered on plate below the
image borderline: “IVDAS ET THAMAR COEVNT PROMITTITVR HOEDVS ANNVLVS, ARMILLÆ,
ATQVE PEDVM PRO PIGNORE DANTVR.”
Size: (sheet) 23 x 28.4 cm;
(plate) 21.2 x 26.5 cm; (image borderline) 19.8 x 26.1 cm
State i (of iv)
New Hollstein Dutch 5-1 (4)
(Harmen Jansz. Muller); New Hollstein Dutch 39-1 (4) (Maarten van Heemskerck)
(FWH Hollstein 1949, “Dutch and Flemish etchings, engravings and woodcuts ca.
1450-1700”, Amsterdam)
The Rijksmuseum offers the
following description of this print:
(transl.) “Under a tree sits
the veiled Tamar with her father-in-law Judah, who does not recognize her and
thinks she is a prostitute. He gives her his signet ring and staff as
collateral for the goat he will use to pay her. In the background to the right
the sheep and shepherds of Judah and to the left a city. At the bottom in the
margin a verse in Latin.”
(http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.collect.156996)
See also the description of
this print at the Metropolitan Museum of Art:
https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/632498.
When I was examining this
engraving the thought occurred to me: how would I illustrate a scene where a
father-in-law mistakes his daughter-in-law for a prostitute and proceeds to
engage her services by giving the ravishing daughter-in-law his signet ring—a
ring that would fall off most chap’s finger it is so large!—along with his
staff as collateral for a pending payment of a goat for her capitulation in
delighting her father-in-law? Well, I guess that Muller’s engraving comes close
to what my exploding brain could concoct. This is such a bizarre story!
For those who wish to know the
“proper” story of Judah and Tamar in the Old Testament, (“Genesis” 38:12–23;
and specifically, 38:15) the following extract (Contemporary English Version)
may be helpful:
“15 When Judah came along, he
did not recognize her because of the veil. He thought she was a prostitute
16 and asked her to sleep with
him. She asked, ‘What will you give me if I do?’
17 ‘One of my young goats,’ he
answered.
‘What will you give me to keep
until you send the goat?’ she asked.
18 ‘What do you want?’ he
asked in return.
‘The ring on that cord around
your neck,’ was her reply. ‘I also want the special walking stick you have with
you.’ He gave them to her, they slept together, and she became pregnant.”
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+38&version=CEV)
One feature of Muller’s
composition (after van Heemskerck) that I find especially interesting is the
representation of the tree shading the couple. It is so lumpy! This curious
choice of a tree, of course, is symptomatic of Muller’s Mannerist “lobulated” style
(i.e. a style consisting of lumps like earlobes), but I must say that I wonder
where this aesthetic love of lumpiness originated.
Condition: a strong,
well-printed, near faultless impression showing no signs of wear to the printing
plate with a small margin and laid onto a sheet of archival (millennium
quality) washi paper. There are a few closed tears in the margins, otherwise
the sheet is in an excellent condition for its considerable age and has no losses,
holes, folds, abrasions, significant stains or foxing.
I am selling this exceedingly
rare lifetime (first state) engraving executed by the father of Jan Harmensz.
Muller for AU$327 (currently US$248.85/EUR203.69/GBP183.45 at the time of
posting this listing) including Express Mail (EMS) 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 fascinating scene of a father-in-law mistaking his
daughter-in-law for a prostitute, please contact me
(oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make
the payment easy.
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