Jeroboam and the Prophet Ahijah Renting the New Garment in Twelve Pieces - Hans Collaert the Elder

A detailed sixteenth-century engraving depicting the prophet Ahijah dividing his garment to signify the division of the kingdom of Israel.

This hand-coloured engraving by Hans Collaert the Elder depicts a narrative from the First Book of Kings. The scene captures the prophet Ahijah of Shiloh tearing his new garment into twelve pieces, a symbolic act representing the division of the kingdom of Israel. He presents ten of these pieces to Jeroboam, signifying the ten tribes that would be given to him under divine decree. The composition follows the conventions of sixteenth-century Flemish printmaking, where figures are placed in the foreground against a receding background of architectural structures and open skies.

Collaert employs a precise, linear technique characteristic of the period. The figures are rendered with attention to anatomical form and drapery, while the background features a walled city, likely intended to represent Jerusalem or a generic biblical settlement. The application of colour, added after the initial printing, provides a clear distinction between the figures and the surrounding environment. The inclusion of Latin text at the base of the image provides the scriptural context, a common practice in devotional and educational print series of the era. This work reflects the technical skill of the Collaert family, who were active in Antwerp and contributed significantly to the dissemination of religious imagery through the medium of engraving. The print demonstrates the clarity of narrative and the structured approach to biblical storytelling that defined the output of the Antwerp print workshops during the late sixteenth century.