Plate 5, from Landscapes with Scenes from the Old and New Testament and Ovid’s Metamorphoses
1574
Medium
Etching on ivory laid paper
Dimensions
Plate: 12.5 × 18.5 cm (4 15/16 × 7 5/16 in.); sheet: 18.1 × 26.2 cm (7 3/16 × 10 3/8 in.)
Classification
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
268561
Art Historical Context
Hans Bol's *Plate 5, from with Scenes from the Old and New Testament and Ovid’soses* (1574) exemplifies the Flemish artist's mastery of intricate printmaking during the late Northern Renaissance. A prominent figure in Antwerp's artistic circles, Bol specialized in detailed landscapes that served as evocative backdrops for narrative scenes. This etching draws from diverse sources—blending biblical episodes with tales from Ovid's classical mythology—to create a harmonious fusion of sacred and secular themes, reflecting the era's humanist revival of antiquity amid religious upheaval in the Nether...
About the Artist
Hans Bol · 1534–1593
Hans Bol (1534–1593) was a Netherlandish painter, draftsman, and miniaturist known for his exquisite landscape compositions and detailed miniature paintings. Born in Mechelen (Malines) in the Spanish Netherlands, he trained there and became a member of the Guild of Saint Luke. His early career was disrupted by the religious upheavals of the Dutch Revolt; the sack of Mechelen in 1572 forced him to ...