Artwork Page for Plate 8: Gad

Details / Information for Plate 8: Gad

Series Title: The Twelve Sons of Jacob

Plate 8: Gad

c. 1589

Jacob de Gheyn II

(Netherlandish, 1565–1629)
author

after Karel I van Mander

(Netherlandish, 1548–1606)
View all records in artwork set
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 2024.145.6
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 upright, profile view of this Old Testament figure dressed in armor helps to characterize his military pursuits as noble in nature.

Description

In this print, the biblical figure Gad holds a spear and wears a suit of armor while a militia gathers behind him, denoting his preparedness for battle. 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. 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 black-inked engraving depicts a man with light skin tone in profile facing our left. He has a long mustache and wears a peaked helmet and armor featuring a lion's head and spiked shoulder plates. He holds a tall spear in his left hand. In the background, soldiers march through a stone archway. At the bottom, Latin text and the number eight are inscribed in a margin.

Plate 8: Gad

c. 1589

Jacob de Gheyn II, Karel I van Mander

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

See Also

Visually Similar by AI

Contact Us

The information about this object, including provenance, may not be currently accurate. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please fill out the appropriate request form linked below:

Update or Correct Artwork Information

Imagery or Rights for Non-Open-Access Artworks

Report a Website Issue

Further Questions About This Artwork