Obadiah Hides the Prophets and Elijah on Mount Carmel, Mortier, circa 1700

This original copperplate engraving from Pieter Mortier's illustrated Bible, Amsterdam circa 1700, shows two biblical scenes on one sheet: 1 Kings 18:4 to 13, Obadiah hides the prophets in caves, and 1 Kings 18:20 to 38, Elijah's sacrifice consumed by fire from heaven. The upper scene illustrates 1 Kings chapter 18, verses 4 to 13, where Obadiah, governor of Ahab's house, hid a hundred prophets of the Lord in caves to save them from Queen Jezebel. Obadiah leads the prophets towards the mouth of a cave in a rocky landscape, bringing them bread and water.

The lower scene shows the contest on Mount Carmel, 1 Kings chapter 18, verses 20 to 38, when Elijah prayed and fire fell from heaven to consume his sacrifice, even after the altar had been drenched with water. Elijah raises his arms beside the stone altar while men pour water from jars, and rays of fire strike from above. Each scene carries its own engraved caption with the scripture reference in Dutch and French, and the sheet is numbered 102 in the lower margin.

The engraving comes from the Bible published by Pieter Mortier in Amsterdam circa 1700, a work in which Dutch Baroque book illustration reached a grand scale. Designs by artists such as Gerard Hoet, Arnold Houbraken and Bernard Picart were cut in copper by a team of Amsterdam engravers, and the paired scenes were printed on large sheets of laid paper. This sheet is signed in the lower margin by Ottmar Elliger as designer, with the engraving signed by J. Baptist. The sheet is printed on laid paper with full margins, and the reverse is blank.

Framed with a wide mount, the sheet makes a strong statement in a study, a parish office or a library, and it hangs well alongside other Dutch biblical engravings of the period. It is also an accessible entry point for collectors interested in the Books of Kings.

The sheet is in good condition for its age, with light toning, some soiling and small chips along the lower left edge, all in the margins; the image itself is clean and strong.

This is an original antique print, not a modern reproduction. This item is sold unframed.