Artwork
The Book of the Law Read before the People
The Book of the Law Read before the People is an ink print by the Renaissance artist Philip Galle. It dates from 1569 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:lower center: Martinius Heemkerck Inventor; in plate, lower edge: Stetit Rex Suer gradum, et foedus percussit coram Domino, Legitque / Cinctis ardientibus verba libri foederis 4. Reg. 23. Cap:
About this work
Overview
Philip Galle’s engraving The Book of the Law Read before the People, dated around 1569, is a black‑and‑white print on laid paper.
Philip Galle’s engraving The Book of the Law Read before the People, dated around 1569, is a black‑and‑white print on laid paper. The composition shows a crowded public space where a crowned official in elaborate robes holds an open book while a mixed crowd of kneeling, standing, and gesturing figures listen. Architectural elements such as columns and statues frame the scene, giving it a formal, civic atmosphere.
Subject & Meaning
The image records a ceremonial reading of a legal text, suggested by the Latin inscription at the bottom of the plate. The central figure’s regal attire and crown indicate authority, while the varied reactions of the surrounding crowd, some attentive, others looking upward, convey the communal importance of law and governance in a public setting of the period.
Technique & Style
Executed in fine, incised lines typical of Northern Renaissance engraving, Galle achieves a sense of volume through cross‑hatching and delicate shading. The use of laid paper, with its ribbed texture, enhances the contrast between the dense crowd and the architectural background. The absence of color focuses attention on the intricate line work and the precise rendering of individual gestures.
History & Provenance
Galle, a Dutch publisher and engraver active in the late sixteenth century, was known for reproducing the designs of other artists for a broad market. This plate is one of his reproductive works, likely based on a contemporary painting or drawing. Printed in his Antwerp workshop, copies circulated widely, contributing to the dissemination of visual accounts of civic rituals across Europe.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Philip (or Philips) Galle (1537 – March 1612) was a Dutch publisher, best known for publishing old master prints, which he also produced as designer and engraver. He is especially known for his reproductive engravings of paintings.
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The Destruction of the Temple of Baal and the Slaughter of His Priests
David before Saul
Solomon Led to Idolatry by His Wives
The Massacre of the Innocents![The Betrothal of Margaret of Austria to Philip III, King of Spain [verso], by Raffaello Schiaminossi](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/raffaello-schiaminossi--the-betrothal-of-margaret-of-austria-to-philip-iii-king-of-s--509229b9feb3b80f-w320.webp)
The Betrothal of Margaret of Austria to Philip III, King of Spain [verso]