Schepping van licht en donker - Herman Coets

A 1665 etching by Herman Coets depicting the biblical creation of light and darkness, featuring a central globe and celestial motifs.

This etching by Herman Coets, dated 1665, presents a theological and cartographic interpretation of the creation of light and darkness as described in the Book of Genesis. The composition is dominated by a central terrestrial globe, rendered with the geographical knowledge of the seventeenth century. Above the globe, a radiant sun, inscribed with the Hebrew tetragrammaton, casts beams of light downwards, illuminating the upper hemisphere while leaving the lower portion in shadow. This visual division creates a clear distinction between day and night, reflecting the biblical narrative.

The lower section of the print features a celestial band populated with stars and zodiacal symbols, grounding the terrestrial sphere within a broader cosmological framework. The artist employs a fine, precise line quality characteristic of Dutch printmaking during this period. The use of a single-colour ink, often referred to as sanguine or red chalk tone, provides a warm, unified aesthetic that draws attention to the delicate cross-hatching and stippling techniques used to define the clouds and the curvature of the earth.

At the base of the image, a Dutch inscription provides the scriptural reference, Genesis 1:14, which details the separation of light from darkness. The work functions as both a scientific curiosity and a devotional object, typical of the intellectual climate in the Netherlands during the mid-seventeenth century. The balance between the cartographic accuracy of the globe and the symbolic representation of the divine light demonstrates the period's interest in reconciling empirical observation with religious doctrine. This print offers a view into the historical intersection of geography, astronomy, and theology, presented with the technical rigour expected of a master etcher of the era.