Artwork

Seashore with HIgh Seas, a Ship, and the Prophet Elijah [God Helping the Israelites Fight the Moabites]

Seashore with HIgh Seas, a Ship, and the Prophet Elijah [God Helping the Israelites Fight the Moabites] is an ink print by the Baroque artist Magdalena van de Passe. It dates from 1624 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

Magdalena van de Passe’s engraving, dated around 1624, depicts a turbulent seascape dominated by towering waves and a beleaguered vessel. Executed on laid paper, the print is part of the National Gallery of Art’s collection in Washington, D.C. The composition balances a storm‑tossed ship in the foreground with a distant cliff and modest structures, all rendered in stark black and white.

Subject & Meaning

The scene illustrates a biblical episode in which divine assistance aids the Israelites during their conflict with Moab. A figure dressed in period attire stands beneath a tree on the shore, observing the chaos, while an inscription at the bottom references God’s intervention on behalf of the people, linking the natural turmoil to a spiritual narrative.

Technique & Style

Van de Passe employed fine, cross‑hatching lines and varied shading to convey the movement of water and the brooding sky. The engraving’s meticulous line work creates a sense of depth, with the foreground ship rendered in greater detail than the distant cliff, emphasizing the dramatic contrast between human frailty and the overwhelming forces of nature.

History & Provenance

Created in the early seventeenth century, the print reflects the Dutch engraving tradition of the period. It entered the National Gallery of Art’s holdings through acquisition in the twentieth century, where it remains catalogued as an example of van de Passe’s religious and maritime subjects.

Context

Magdalena van de Passe worked within a family of engravers active in the Dutch Republic, a hub for printmaking that disseminated biblical and historical imagery across Europe. This work aligns with contemporary interests in dramatizing scriptural events, using the sea as a metaphor for divine power and human vulnerability.