Jan Luyken’s etching, “Meeting of Eliezer and Rebekah”, c.1700

Jan Luyken (aka Johannes Luyken; Jan Luijken) (1649–1712)

“Meeting of Eliezer and Rebekah” (aka “Ontmoeting van Eliëzer en Rebekka” [Van Eeghen title]), c,1700, Illustration to the first volume of David and Willem Goeree’s (1635–1711) “Mosaize historie der Hebreeuwse kerke …” (Mosaic history of the Hebrew church …), inserted at page 146 (see this page and the publication online: https://archive.org/details/ned-kbn-all-00007380-001/page/n508/mode/2up), published in Amsterdam in 1700.

Etching on laid paper with the gatefold of publication flattened and small margins around the platemark.

Size: (sheet) 31.5 x 38.9 cm; (plate) 28.6 x 37.9 cm; (image borderline) 27.3 x 37 cm.

Lettered in plate in Dutch below the image borderline: “Eliezer Abrahams Huys-bezorger, te Charan in Mesopotamien aangekoomen:versoekt van bethuël een Houwelyk voor zyns Heeren Zone ISAAK, met de dogter Rebekka te Stigten. Gen. 24./ 1 Deel P. 416.” (“Eliezer Abraham's Housekeeper, arrived at Haran in Mesopotamia: requests from Bethuel a Houwelyk [wife selection] for his Lord Son ISAAK, with the daughter Rebekka in Stigten. Genesis 24.)

Van Eeghen 2584 (Pieter van Eeghen & Johan Philip van der Kellen 1905, “Het werk van Jan en Casper Luyken”, Amsterdam, Frederik Muller & Co., vol. 2, p. 482, cat. no. 2584).

Van Eeghen (1905) offers the following description of this print: (transl.) “In an open hall, in the foreground on the right, Bethuel and his wife sit in conversation with Eliezer, further to the left Laban and Rebekah and Abraham's servants are busy clearing themselves of dust. On the second floor, on the right, the table tops, on the left the unwrapping of gifts. In the background the stables, where the camels are cared for./ Double size.” (p. 482; see https://archive.org/details/hetwerkvanjanen01kellgoog/page/n95/mode/1up). 

Condition: a strong and near faultless impression. The sheet is in an excellent condition for its large size and considerable age with the publication gatefold flattened.

I am selling this visually arresting and large etching in a superb condition, for AU$262 (currently US$175.12/EUR158.45/GBP139.48 at the time of this listing) 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 interesting etching showing not only a indexed matrix of small events leading up to Eliezer (at “E”) being introduced to his future wife, Rebekah (“D”)—for example, servants cleaning themselves at lower left (“G”); the unpacking of gifts further back (“K”); preparation of the banquet at centre (“H”); the tending to the camels in the distance (“I”)—the etching is also a marvellous example of how to suggest pictorial depth by a subtle transition in tone, please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.