Pieter Mortier, Angel Destroys the Assyrian Army and Hezekiah's Recovery, 1700, Engraving

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This original copperplate engraving from Pieter Mortier's illustrated Bible, Amsterdam circa 1700, shows two biblical scenes on one sheet: 2 … Read more This original copperplate engraving from Pieter Mortier's illustrated Bible, Amsterdam circa 1700, shows two biblical scenes on one sheet: 2 Kings 19:35, the angel of the Lord slays 185000 Assyrians in one night, and 2 Kings 20, Hezekiah's life prolonged by fifteen years. The upper scene illustrates 2 Kings chapter 19, verse 35, where the angel of the Lord went out by night and struck down one hundred and eighty five thousand men in the camp of the Assyrian king Sennacherib besieging Jerusalem. The angel descends through storm clouds over a camp of tents, while men, horses and chariots lie fallen across the ground. The lower scene shows 2 Kings chapter 20, the illness and recovery of King Hezekiah, to whom the prophet Isaiah announced that the Lord would add fifteen years to his life. Hezekiah lies in a great canopied bed while Isaiah stands beside him with hand raised, and courtiers wait in the columned chamber. Each scene carries its own engraved caption with the scripture reference in Dutch and French, and the sheet is numbered 112 in the lower margin. The engraving comes from the Bible published by Pieter Mortier in Amsterdam circa 1700, a work in which Dutch Baroque book illustration reached a grand scale. Designs by artists such as Gerard Hoet, Arnold Houbraken and Bernard Picart were cut in copper by a team of Amsterdam engravers, and the paired scenes were printed on large sheets of laid paper. This sheet is signed in the lower margin by Ottmar Elliger as designer, with the engraving signed by Andreas Reinhard. The sheet is printed on laid paper with full margins, and the reverse is blank. Framed with a wide mount, the sheet makes a strong statement in a study, a parish office or a library, and it hangs well alongside other Dutch biblical engravings of the period. It is also an accessible entry point for collectors interested in the Books of Kings. The sheet is in good condition for its age, with tide lines along the upper margin and a chipped upper right corner with small losses and a short tear, all well clear of the image, which is clean. 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. See less