Artist: Jan Luyken (Dutch, 1649 – 1712)
Title: The Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies (The holy of holies in the Temple of Solomon)
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.
“The Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies” or “The holy of holies in the Temple of Solomon”. It depicts the inner sanctuary of the ancient Temple in Jerusalem. The scene takes place in the Holy of Holies, the most sacred chamber of the Temple. The small structure in the center is the Ark of the Covenant, a gold-covered wooden chest containing the two stone tablets of the Ten Commandments. The Ark is flanked and guarded by two large cherubim (winged angelic beings). The image illustrates a biblical scene, likely from the time of King Solomon, when the Ark was brought to rest in the newly completed Temple.
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.