Plate 2: Levi (c. 1589): Art, History and Details

Plate 2: Levi (c. 1589) is in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection. The museum's creator attribution is Jacob de Gheyn II (Netherlandish, 1565–1629); Karel I van Mander (Netherlandish, 1548–1606).

The work and its context

The museum's open-access catalogue describes the work:

In this print, the biblical figure Levi holds a sword next to a bishop’s mitre, denoting his tribe’s association with the priesthood. 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 (present-day Israel). 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 patience.

Object facts

• Title: Plate 2: Levi
• Date: c. 1589
• Creator attribution: Jacob de Gheyn II (Netherlandish, 1565–1629); Karel I van Mander (Netherlandish, 1548–1606)
• Culture: Netherlands
• Type: Print
• Technique: engraving
• Dimensions: Platemark: 16 x 11 cm (6 5/16 x 4 5/16 in.)
• Collection: PR - Engraving
• Department: Prints
• Accession number: 2024.145.1

A detail from the museum

The columnar architecture behind this Old Testament figure suggests the future of his tribe as members of the priesthood.

Collection credit

Carole W. and Charles B. Rosenblatt Endowment Fund

View the collection record

See the museum's photographs and full catalogue entry. Catalogue text is reproduced from the Cleveland Museum of Art's open-access data, with HTML formatting removed. This object and its supplied image are designated CC0.