Koning Josia laat de offerplaats in Betel ontheiligen - Hieronymus Varlenius

A detailed 16th-century engraving depicting King Josiah destroying the altar at Bethel, based on a design by Maarten van Heemskerck.

This engraving depicts the biblical account of King Josiah of Judah, who ordered the destruction of the idolatrous altar at Bethel. The scene is based on a design by the Dutch painter Maarten van Heemskerck, whose influence is noted in the lower left corner as 'Martinus Heemskerck inventor'. The print was executed by the engraver Hieronymus Varlenius, with the publication attributed to the workshop of Philips Galle.

The composition is dense with activity, reflecting the narrative of 2 Kings 23. King Josiah stands centrally, gesturing towards the systematic dismantling of the pagan site. Around him, workers use hammers and tools to break apart stone structures and monuments. In the foreground, figures gather human remains from graves to defile the altar, a specific act of desecration described in the scripture to render the site ritually unclean. The background features rugged, mountainous terrain and an obelisk, typical of the Mannerist style prevalent in the mid-sixteenth century Low Countries.

The figures exhibit the muscular, elongated proportions characteristic of Heemskerck’s work, influenced by his time in Rome. The engraving technique employs varied line weights to define the textures of stone, fabric, and skeletal remains. The Latin inscription at the base provides the scriptural context, confirming the subject matter as the destruction of the high places built by Jeroboam. This work is part of a broader series of biblical prints produced by the Galle publishing house, which were widely circulated across Europe during the late Renaissance. The print serves as a visual record of the period's interest in moralising biblical narratives, rendered with the technical precision of the Antwerp printmaking tradition.