1602
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Dominant colour
Elisha Cursing the Children of Bethel Who Are Being Devoured by the Bears is a 1602 by Nicolaes de Bruyn, a Baroque work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
This print shows two angry bears attacking a group of screaming children in a dark forest. The bears look huge and the kids scatter in terror. De Bruyn made this in 1602 using fine lines to build up shadows and lights. The tiny Latin quote at the bottom tells the story of Elisha and the disrespectful crowd. Look for Nicolaes de Bruyn (Netherlandish, 1571–1656) next.
The Latin inscription in the bottom corner of the print quotes chapter two of the second Book of Kings (2 Kings 2:23-24) when the Hebrew prophet, Elisha, came upon the children of the city of Bethel who mocked him for his bald head. In the Lord's name Elisha cursed the children and all 42 were killed by two she-bears who emerged from the woods. This obscure Old Testament subject also illustrates an important moral lesson--old age must be respected. Approximating the size and tonal range of paintings by Coninxloo, prints such as these probably served as inexpensive substitutes for paintings.
Read the full account in the museum source.
Nicolaes de Bruyn (Antwerp, 1571 – Rotterdam, 1656) was a Flemish engraver, who after training in Antwerp was active in the Dutch Republic.
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