{"id":162,"date":"2021-04-25T19:34:00","date_gmt":"2021-04-25T19:34:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/museum.middcreate.net\/projects\/early-modern-dutch-prints\/?page_id=162"},"modified":"2021-05-16T18:27:37","modified_gmt":"2021-05-16T18:27:37","slug":"minerva-and-mercury","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/museum.middcreate.net\/projects\/early-modern-dutch-prints\/minerva-and-mercury\/","title":{"rendered":"Minerva and Mercury"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Minerva and Mercury <\/em>from the series Mythological and Allegorical Subjects<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

ARTIST: Attributed to Jacob Matham (Dutch, 1571 \u2013 1631), after Hendrick Goltzius (Dutch, 1558 \u2013 1617)
DATE: 1588
TECHNIQUE: Engraving<\/a>
DIMENSIONS: Platemark<\/a>: 30.2 x 21 cm, Paper Size: 31 x 21.5 cm
STATE<\/a>: I\/III
WATERMARK<\/a>: Strasburg Lily
INSCRIPTION: \u201cHG. excud\u201d; numbered in plate lower left: \u201c4\u201d; inscribed in plate below image: \u201cHaec Patris e cerebro, Maia hic Atlantide natus\/ AEthereo Soboles vtra digna Foue,\u201d; inscribed in plate below image lower right: \u201cFngenio Pallas prefes, Cijllenius author \/ Eloquij, doctis numina sacra viris.\u201d
TRANSLATION: \u201cThis 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.\u201d
CATALOGUE REFERENCE: New Hollstein Dutch 351 I\/III, Bartsch 281
CREDIT LINE: Gift of Barbara P. Taft & Hugh M. Taft \u201844
PROVENANCE: Purchased from Lucien Goldschmidt, 1984
OBJECT NUMBER: 1996.035<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The artist, Jacob Matham, creates dramatic contrasts of light by intersecting parallel lines, a technique called crosshatching<\/a>. 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\u2019s subject matter, Matham\u2019s 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\u2019s hair. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This impression<\/a> is the first of three editions of the printing plate<\/a>, known as states. The appearance of the following two states are very similar, with changes only in Goltzius\u2019 signature and the numbering of the print. Minerva and Mercury <\/em>is the fourth print likely engraved by Jacob Matham in the series Mythological and Allegorical Representations. <\/em>The series includes The Three Graces<\/a><\/em>, another print featured in this catalogue. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Written by Ryan Wheatley, edited by Simone Edgar Holmes<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Bibliography <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Glennon, Madeleine. \u201cMedusa in Ancient Greek Art.\u201d In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History<\/em>. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2017. http:\/\/www.metmuseum.org\/toah\/hd\/medu\/hd_medu.htm. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kok, Jan Piet Filedt. \u201cJan Harmensz. Muller as Printmaker-I.\u201d Print Quarterly<\/em>, vol 11., no. 3 (September 1994).<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Minerva and Mercury from the series Mythological and Allegorical Subjects ARTIST: Attributed to Jacob Matham (Dutch, 1571 \u2013 1631), after Hendrick Goltzius (Dutch, 1558 \u2013 1617)DATE: 1588TECHNIQUE: EngravingDIMENSIONS: Platemark: 30.2 x 21 cm, Paper Size: 31 x 21.5 cmSTATE: I\/IIIWATERMARK: Strasburg LilyINSCRIPTION: \u201cHG. excud\u201d; numbered in plate lower left: \u201c4\u201d; inscribed in plate below image:…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-162","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/museum.middcreate.net\/projects\/early-modern-dutch-prints\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/162","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/museum.middcreate.net\/projects\/early-modern-dutch-prints\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/museum.middcreate.net\/projects\/early-modern-dutch-prints\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/museum.middcreate.net\/projects\/early-modern-dutch-prints\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/museum.middcreate.net\/projects\/early-modern-dutch-prints\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=162"}],"version-history":[{"count":18,"href":"https:\/\/museum.middcreate.net\/projects\/early-modern-dutch-prints\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/162\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":450,"href":"https:\/\/museum.middcreate.net\/projects\/early-modern-dutch-prints\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/162\/revisions\/450"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/museum.middcreate.net\/projects\/early-modern-dutch-prints\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=162"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}