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Workshop Summaries
The Rise of Old Testament Themes
in Sixteenth-Century Netherlandish
Art
Dagmar Eichberger, University of
Heidelberg, in collaboration with
Ariane Mensger, research fellow,
Heidelberg
In the early sixteenth century
themes from the Old Testament
become increasingly important in
prints, paintings and tapestries.
The workshop investigated the
different contexts, in which Old
Testament themes could occur:
typology in various media, printed
and illustrated editions of the
bible, images of Old Testament
heroines, narrative cycles of Old
Testament heroes, human and natural
catastrophes, the ambivalent nature
of gender relations, sensuous
images for private consumption.
Dagmar Eichberger gave a short
introduction into the overall theme
of the workshop. In the first half
of the session, Shelley Perlove
opened up the discussion by giving
s short resume of her research
project on the role of typology in
the paintings by Rembrandt (with
Larry Silver). Her presentation was
followed by discussion in which the
ongoing significance of typological
thinking was debated and confirmed.
Matt Kavaler and Ellen Konowitz
referred to numerous other
examples, such as stained glass
windows (Enghien, Gouda, Amsterdam)
and sculptural reliefs (Tournai,
choir screen).
The second thematic group dealt
with Old Testament narratives in
prints. Birgit Münch started the
discussion by presenting her ideas
on Gerhard de Jode's
Thesaurus veteris testamenti
(Antwerp 1579/ 1585). She showed
that this richly illustrated book
contained seven scenes from the
life of Joseph. This was compared
to the Leien Bibel by
Wendelin Rihel (1540) and to The
Concordantz Alt und News
Testament illustrated by
Augustin Hirschvogel (1550), both
contain three Joseph scenes each.
Münch argued that the De Jode
Thesaurus was not a picture
bible, but rather served as a model
book for artists or became a
collector’s item.
Following on from Birgit Münch,
Walter Gibson talked about the role
of classical architecture and
cityscapes in Old Testament prints.
He raised the question whether these
depictions reflected the
archaeological knowledge of the
period and if theses structures
carried any specific meaning for the
scene in which they occurred.
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