Pieter Mortier, Absalom Has Amnon Killed and Shimei Curses David, Pieter 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 Samuel 13:23, Absalom has his brother Amnon killed, and 2 Samuel 16:5, Shimei curses David. The upper scene illustrates 2 Samuel chapter 13, where Absalom invites his brother Amnon to a sheep shearing feast and has his servants kill him in revenge for the wrong done to their sister Tamar. The banquet erupts in violence as Amnon falls from the table and the guests scatter. The lower scene shows 2 Samuel chapter 16, verse 5, where David, fleeing Jerusalem during Absalom's revolt, is cursed and pelted with stones by Shimei of the house of Saul. David walks on with his followers and soldiers while Shimei shouts and throws from a bank. Each scene carries its own engraved caption with the scripture reference in Dutch and French, and the sheet is numbered 90 in the lower margin. Pieter Mortier, the Amsterdam publisher and bookseller, issued his illustrated Bible circa 1700 as a showpiece of Dutch Baroque printmaking. Its contributing artists included Gerard Hoet, Arnold Houbraken and Bernard Picart, and the plates present the biblical narrative as a sequence of theatrical scenes, crowded with figures and set among classical architecture and wide landscapes. This sheet is signed in the lower margin by Ottmar Elliger as designer, and no engraver's signature is visible. The sheet is printed on laid paper with full margins, and the reverse is blank. The sheet would suit a library, a study or a quiet corner of a living room, where its fine line work rewards close viewing. Hung in a group with other Mortier plates, it becomes part of a continuous illustrated narrative of the story of Saul and David. The sheet is in good condition for its age, with light toning, a small spot and minor chipping and creasing at the lower corners of the margins; the image 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