Samson Kills the Lion and Burns the Philistines' Corn, Mortier circa 1700

This original copper engraving from Pieter Mortier's illustrated Bible, published in Amsterdam circa 1700, shows two Old Testament scenes on one sheet. The subjects are Judges 14, Samson tears a lion apart, and Judges 15, Samson burns the corn of the Philistines with foxes. It is plate 70 of the series, a fine example of Dutch Baroque biblical engraving with the upper and lower compositions each set in its own engraved frame.

The upper scene illustrates Judges chapter 14, verses 5 and 6, captioned Simson verscheurt een Leeuw in 't woud, Samson tears a lion in the wood. On the way to Timnath a young lion roars against him, and the spirit of the Lord comes upon Samson so that he rends it as he would a kid; his parents are seen walking on in the distance by the vineyards.

The lower scene takes Judges chapter 15, verses 4 and 5, captioned Simson verbrand het Koorn der Philistynen, Samson burns the corn of the Philistines. Having tied firebrands between the tails of foxes, he lets them loose into the standing corn, and the fields, vineyards and olive groves go up in smoke.

Pieter Mortier's Bible, issued in Amsterdam circa 1700, is one of the finest illustrated Bibles of the Baroque period. Its plates, with more than four hundred scenes, follow the sacred narrative from Genesis onwards, two scenes to a sheet, each captioned in Dutch and French beneath the chapter and verse. The plate is signed O. Elgers inv. at lower left for the designer Ottmar Elliger, with the imprint P. Mortier edit. cum Privil. Leading Dutch artists such as Gerard Hoet, Arnold Houbraken and Bernard Picart supplied designs, and the plates were worked with a dense, velvety burin that gives the scenes their dramatic light and depth, the qualities that make Mortier sheets so sought after today.

The engraving is printed on laid paper with full margins and a blank verso, and is uncolored, as issued. It rewards close viewing and is well suited to a study, library or quiet corner, either alone or hung as part of a series of Mortier Bible engravings, which together give a vivid sense of how the Dutch Baroque imagined the biblical world.

The sheet is in good condition for its age, with light toning, a crease at the lower left corner and small chips and a spot at the lower right corner; the image is clean.