Minerva and Mercury from the series Mythological and Allegorical Subjects
ARTIST: Attributed to Jacob Matham (Dutch, 1571 – 1631), after Hendrick Goltzius (Dutch, 1558 – 1617)
DATE: 1588
TECHNIQUE: Engraving
DIMENSIONS: Platemark: 30.2 x 21 cm, Paper Size: 31 x 21.5 cm
STATE: I/III
WATERMARK: Strasburg Lily
INSCRIPTION: “HG. excud”; numbered in plate lower left: “4”; inscribed in plate below image: “Haec Patris e cerebro, Maia hic Atlantide natus/ AEthereo Soboles vtra digna Foue,”; inscribed in plate below image lower right: “Fngenio Pallas prefes, Cijllenius author / Eloquij, doctis numina sacra viris.”
TRANSLATION: “This one is born from the head of her father, that one from Atlantan Maia / Companions both equally worthy of divine Jove / Pallas [i.e. Minerva] is the guardian of genius, Cyllenius [i.e. Mercury] has a hand in all wit / They are spirits sacred to learned men.”
CATALOGUE REFERENCE: New Hollstein Dutch 351 I/III, Bartsch 281
CREDIT LINE: Gift of Barbara P. Taft & Hugh M. Taft ‘44
PROVENANCE: Purchased from Lucien Goldschmidt, 1984
OBJECT NUMBER: 1996.035
Far above the earth, Minerva, the Roman goddess of wisdom, commerce, and the arts gazes intensely at Mercury, the god of trade and communication. Bathed in light and seated upon dense, supporting clouds, Minerva appears both imposing and elegant. Her body is stretched into an S-shape, as was typical of Mannerism, a 16th- and 17th-century artistic style that involved exaggerated proportions and idealized figures.
In the scene, Minerva demonstrates her power over evil by digging her finger into the face of Medusa that decorates her shield. Across from and slightly below her sits Mercury, his legs spread and tensed to emphasize his muscles. He extends his right hand, palm up, to Minerva in a gesture of offering. He might be requesting a service related to trade or artistic inspiration in his role as messenger between the humans and the gods.
The artist, Jacob Matham, creates dramatic contrasts of light by intersecting parallel lines, a technique called crosshatching. Matham likely learned this engraving method from his stepfather, the master printmaker Hendrick Goltzius, who also designed the composition of this print. Although he imitates his teacher’s subject matter, Matham’s vast range of tone further emphasizes the power dynamic between Minerva and Mercury. While Minerva reclines confidently in the light, Mercury perches obediently in her shadow. Matham also breathes life into the composition by swelling and tapering the width of his engraved line, a technique Goltzius perfected and taught to his students. Notice, for example, the detail in the sharp creases of fabric and the delicate coils of Minerva’s hair.
This impression is the first of three editions of the printing plate, known as states. The appearance of the following two states are very similar, with changes only in Goltzius’ signature and the numbering of the print. Minerva and Mercury is the fourth print likely engraved by Jacob Matham in the series Mythological and Allegorical Representations. The series includes The Three Graces, another print featured in this catalogue.
Written by Ryan Wheatley, edited by Simone Edgar Holmes
Bibliography
Glennon, Madeleine. “Medusa in Ancient Greek Art.” In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2017. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/medu/hd_medu.htm.
Kok, Jan Piet Filedt. “Jan Harmensz. Muller as Printmaker-I.” Print Quarterly, vol 11., no. 3 (September 1994).
