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Maerten van Heemskerck

Study for The Triumph of David, 1559

Now On View

Description

Maker

Title

Study for The Triumph of David

Year

1559

Medium

Pen and brown ink over black chalk on laid paper, incised for transfer

Materials/Techniques

Materials

Supports

Dimensions

Image/sheet: 18.3 x 26 cm (7 3/16 x 10 1/4 inches)

Signature / Inscription / Marks

Inscribed in pen and ink, LR: "Martinus van Heemskerck [erased: inventor] 1559"; Inscribed verso: "no. 29 van Heemskerck" and "vergl. Berliner-Kabinett tafel 28"

Type

Credit

Museum Works of Art Fund

Object Number

51.095

Projects & Publications

Publications

Exhibition History

Exhibition History

Drawing Closer

March 12 - September 4, 2022

In this drawing, the biblical king David rides a lion, surrounded by figures symbolizing various episodes of his life. Maarten van Heemskerck’s remarkable control of the pen is evident in the range of marks, which vividly describe textures and surfaces. The drawing was in preparation for one of six engravings on the theme of patience. The engraver then carefully traced Van Heemskerck’s outlines using a blind stylus—a marking tool—transferring the design to the copperplate.

The Brilliant Line

September 18, 2009 - January 3, 2010

Maerten van Heemskerck’s drawing was used to create one of six engravings on the theme of Patience composed in a successive "triumph" or procession format. To transfer the design, the drawing’s contours were incised with a stylus onto a thin ground of wax on a copperplate or onto intermediary tracing paper. Close inspection will reveal incised lines on the contours of figures in the drawing. Here, David, one of the most powerful of Old Testament kings, rides upon a lion, which he has clearly tamed. Behind him Saul, who tried to murder him with a spear, is shown ready to strike. Simei, a captive who cursed David, follows behind, while in the background David is poised to strike down the giant Goliath. David is triumphant over his worldly trials and an exemplar for others.

Design and Description

January 27 - April 9, 2006

The Haarlem artist Maarten van Heemskerck drew over two hundred designs for prints, of which this drawing is one example. His careful outlines and hatch marks indicate to the engraver the appropriate patterns of shading for the subsequent engraving, reproduced below. The print differs very little from the drawing. To transfer the design, the drawing’s contours were incised with a stylus onto a thinground of wax on a plate or onto intermediary tracing paper. The drawing’s indented contours can be seen in the detail at right.

Use

The images on this website can enable discovery and collaboration and support new scholarship, and we encourage their use. This object is in the public domain (CC0 1.0). This object is Study for The Triumph of David with the accession number of 51.095. To request high-resolution files or new photography, please send an email to imagerequest@risd.edu and include your name and the object's accession number.