Day Four, from "Creation of the World", 1589
After Hendrick Goltzius; Artist: Jan Mullerexpand_more
Engravingexpand_more
Gift of funds from Nivin MacMillanexpand_more 2013.44.2.5
Not on Viewexpand_more
Hendrik Goltzius, the leading artist of Holland’s Mannerist Age collaborated with a talented young engraver, Jan Muller, to produce this extraordinary and highly original interpretation of the opening story of the Bible. Many artists had already depicted the Creation, but Goltzius gave it a new look. He chose a circular format for the plates, thus echoing representations of the cosmos and of Earth itself. God the Father appears in only the first and last plates, leaving angelic minions to perform the hard work of the days in between. The elements needed to create the world—light, dark, land, water—are represented by allegorical figures whose exaggerated physiques, sensuousness, and suggestive attributes body forth the carnality of the Origin with both humor and sophistication.
If Goltzius’s approach calls to mind Roman mythology rather than Sunday school class, it is no coincidence. At the time that he was designing this series, he was also working on an extended cycle of illustrations to Ovid’s "Metamorphoses."
Details
- Title
- Day Four, from "Creation of the World"
- Artist Life
- 1558–1617
- Role
- Artist
- Accession Number
- 2013.44.2.5
- Provenance
- German art market; [C.G. Boerner, New York, 2012-13]; sold to MIA
- Curator Approved
This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.
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