Mercury with the head of Argus in his hand, from Landscapes with biblical and mythological scenes.

Hieronymus Cock, or Hieronymus Wellens de Cock (1518-1570) was a Southern Netherlandish painter and etcher as well as a publisher and distributor of prints. Cock was the most important print publisher of his time in northern Europe and played a key role in the transformation of printmaking from an activity of individual artists and craftsmen into an industry based on division of labour. 

This etching is based on a drawing by Hieronymus Cock's brother Matthys. Hieronymus copied thirteen of Matthys's landscapes and published them in 1558 under the title Landscapes with Biblical and Mythological Scenes (the longer Dutch title is: Various sorts of landscapes with fine histories composed therein, from the Old and New Testaments, and several merry Poems, very convenient for painters and other connoisseurs of the arts). In this scene, the idyllic landscape contrasts with gory foreground details, showing the decapitated body of Argus, with Mercury triumphantly holding his severed head.

Te Papa has two other etchings from this series, which depict The Good Samaritan (1869-0001-91) and Tobit (1869-0001-92).

See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hieronymus_Cock

Dr Mark Stocker     Curator, Historical International Art        February 2017

 

 

 

Te Papa has two other etchings from this series, which depict The Good Samaritan (1869-0001-91) and Mercury with the head of Argus (1869-0001-93).

See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hieronymus_Cock

Dr Mark Stocker     Curator, Historical International Art        February 2017