Artist: Jan Luyken (Dutch, 1649 – 1712)
Title: The Molten Sea, or the Great Copper Laver
Medium: Antique engraving on laid paper.
Publisher: Frans Houtteyn
Reference: Hollstein / Dutch and Flemish etchings, engravings and woodcuts c.1450-1700 ; Luyken 1905 / Het Werk van Jan en Caspar Luyken.
Dimensions: Sight size: 6 1/8 x 8 inches.
Framed Dimensions: Approximately 13 1/2 x 15 1/2 inches.
Framing: This piece has been professionally matted and framed using all new materials.
A large, ornate basin supported by figures of twelve oxen, which stood in the inner court of the Temple. The scene is set in the courtyard of the Temple complex, with large buildings in the background. Various figures are shown around the basin, possibly worshippers or priests engaged in activities related to the temple rituals.
Jan Luyken (1649–1712) is a well listed artist. He was a prolific Dutch poet, illustrator, and engraver, famous for his detailed, spiritually-focused prints illustrating trades, religious persecution, and mystical themes. after a youthful period of erotic poetry led to a profound conversion to Pietistic Anabaptist Christianity, he became a major figure in Dutch art and literature known for detailed realism.