Plate 10: The Fall of Jericho, from 'The Battles of the Old Testament'

Art Historical Context

Behold Plate 10: *The Fall of Jericho* from Antonio Tempesta's renowned series *The Battles of the Old Testament*, masterfully etched by Nicolaus van Ast around 1590–1610. This dynamic print captures the climactic biblical moment from the Book of Joshua, the Israelites' trumpets shatter Jericho's mighty walls, ushering in divine victory. Tempesta, a prolific Italian Mannerist artist famed for his vivid battle scenes, designed the composition, while Flemish engraver van Aelst brought it to life through intricate etching—a technique using acid to incise lines into a metal plate, allowing for rich tonal contrasts and fine details in the chaos of soldiers, tumbling stones, and triumphant figures. Measuring just 7⅞ × 11¹/₁₆ inches, this intimate yet epic sheet exemplifies the collaborative printmaking tradition of late 16th-century Europe, where designs by painters were reproduced en masse for collectors and scholars. Part of a larger series glorifying Old Testament heroism, it reflects Renaissance fascination with antiquity and faith, blending historical drama with Mannerist energy—elongated forms, swirling action, and dramatic perspective. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Elisha Whittelsey Collection, it invites visitors to ponder how such prints popularized epic narratives, bridging art, religion, and warfare in an age of religious upheaval.

About the Artist

Antonio Tempesta|Nicolaus van Aelst · 1555–1630

Antonio Tempesta (1555–1630), known as 'Il Tempestino,' was a Florentine painter and printmaker whose extraordinary output of approximately 1,700 etchings made him one of the most influential printmakers of the early Baroque period. Born in Florence and trained under Santi di Tito and the Flemish master Joannes Stradanus, he enrolled in the Accademia del Disegno in 1576 before relocating to Rome i...