1589
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Plate 3: Simeon is a 1589 by Jacob de Gheyn II, a Renaissance work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
Here’s an old print of a man in armor holding a sword. His name is Simeon, one of Jacob’s twelve sons from the Bible. The armor and sword hint at the violence in his story—this wasn’t a peaceful guy. This print is part of a series showing all twelve sons, each with symbols that tell you about their lives. It was made in the Netherlands in the late 1500s, when artists loved detailed, storytelling images like this. If you like this, check out more works about the Netherlands—they’re full of these kinds of sharp, symbolic prints.
In this print, the biblical figure Simeon is posed with a sword and wearing armor, denoting the violent acts he perpetrated in his life. This is one of a series of prints depicting the twelve sons of Jacob, each with an attribute and costume that denotes his character. According to the Old Testament, Jacob blessed each of his twelve sons, prophesizing the destiny of their tribe, and assigning them a parcel of land in Canaan. The print series was made in the Netherlands in the late 16th century, a time of political struggle when Old Testament heroes were popular exemplars of fortitude and…
The bellicose nature of this figure is emphasized by his flying cloak and muscular frame, which turns away from the viewer and toward the possible subject of his ire.
Read the full account in the museum source.
Jacob de Gheyn II was a Dutch painter and engraver, whose work shows the transition from Northern Mannerism to Dutch realism over the course of his career.
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