c. 1598
Jan Harmensz Muller (Dutch, 1571-1628) after Adriaen de Vries (Dutch, c. 1545-1626)
Netherlands
Jan Harmensz Muller produced a series of masterful engravings from three different vantage points after wax models for Adriaen de Vries’s sculpture The Rape of a Sabine Woman. When de Vries cast his sculpture around 1620, long after Muller produced his prints, he replicated the style of antique bronzes. Muller’s series highlights both his engraving skill and his ability to mimic sculpture in the round. The twists and turns of conflicting male and female bodies, from the ancient story in which Roman soldiers abducted brides en masse, showcase his talent.
Engraving on paper