Antique Master Print-KING-SAUL-SUICIDE-SWORD-Van Swanenburg-Bloemaert-1611

On the battlefield, King Saul kills himself by throwing himself into his own sword. He wears armor and in front of him is a crown and a lance. To the right behind him, a soldier looks on in horror. Fighting soldiers can be seen in the distance.

Made by Willem Isaacsz. van Swanenburg after Abraham Bloemaert.

Medium: Engraving on hand laid (verge) paper.

Image size: 17.3 x 27 cm. (6.81 x 10.63 inch).

Condition: good, given age. Trimmed to the image. Some staining at top left and creasing. General age-related toning and/or occasional minor defects from handling. Please study scan carefully.

KING-SAUL-SUICIDE-SWORD | PCO-E17-33

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Sinners from the Old and New Testaments (series title)

Publisher: Willem Isaacsz. van Swanenburg.

Reference: Hollstein Dutch 11-1(3); Roethlisberger 132.

Biography engraver: Willem Isaacsz van Swanenburg (1580 – 1612), was a Dutch Golden Age engraver and the youngest son of Isaac van Swanenburg. Isaac van Swanenburg raised three sons who all became artists. Isaac van Swanenburg was also an artist who painted, designed prints, and created stained glass windows. The subject matter of his art included Biblical scenes, genre scenes, and portraits. He was also an illustrator for many books during his time.

Biography artist: Abraham Bloemaert (1566 – 1651) was a Dutch painter and printmaker who used etching and engraving. He initially worked in the style of the “Haarlem Mannerists”, but by the beginning of the 17th-century altered his style in line with the new Baroque style that was then developing. He mostly painted history subjects and some landscapes. He was an important teacher, who trained most of the Utrecht Caravaggisti.