Artwork Page for Plate 2: Levi

Details / Information for Plate 2: Levi

Series Title: The Twelve Sons of Jacob

Plate 2: Levi

c. 1589

Jacob de Gheyn II

(Netherlandish, 1565–1629)
author

after Karel I van Mander

(Netherlandish, 1548–1606)
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Culture
Netherlands
Medium
engraving
Measurements
Platemark: 16 x 11 cm (6 5/16 x 4 5/16 in.)
Credit Line
Carole W. and Charles B. Rosenblatt Endowment Fund 2024.145.1
Public Domain
You can copy, modify, and distribute this work, all without asking permission. Learn more about CMA's Open Access Initiative.
Location
Not on view
Print
?

Did You Know?

The columnar architecture behind this Old Testament figure suggests the future of his tribe as members of the priesthood.

Description

In this print, the biblical figure Levi holds a sword next to a bishop’s mitre, denoting his tribe’s association with the priesthood. This is one of a series of prints depicting the twelve sons of Jacob, each with an attribute and costume that denotes his character. According to the Old Testament, Jacob blessed each of his twelve sons, prophesizing the destiny of their tribe, and assigning them a parcel of land in Canaan (present-day Israel). The print series was made in the Netherlands in the late 16th century, a time of political struggle when Old Testament heroes were popular exemplars of fortitude and patience.
A vertically oriented print in black ink on cream paper depicts Levi, an older man with a light skin tone, long beard, and furrowed brow. Shaded with fine hash marks and draped in heavily folded robes, he looks to our left with downcast eyes. He holds a sword in its scabbard across his lap. A tall ceremonial hat rests on a stone surface nearby. Columns flank the scene, and Latin text borders the bottom.

Plate 2: Levi

c. 1589

Jacob de Gheyn II, Karel I van Mander

(Netherlandish, 1565–1629), (Netherlandish, 1548–1606)
Netherlands

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