Le Receleur - Jacob Gole

A satirical mezzotint by Jacob Gole depicting a corrupt monk with stolen pearls, accompanied by a moralising verse in French.

This mezzotint by Jacob Gole, titled Le Receleur, offers a sharp critique of ecclesiastical hypocrisy. The work depicts a monk holding a string of pearls, his expression one of cunning satisfaction. The circular composition focuses the viewer on the subject's face and the jewellery, which serves as a symbol of worldly greed rather than spiritual devotion. Gole, a Dutch engraver and publisher active in Amsterdam, utilised the mezzotint technique to achieve soft transitions between light and shadow, creating a tactile quality in the monk's heavy robes and the metallic sheen of the pearls.

Below the circular portrait, the text provides a narrative context for the image. It recounts a story of a thief who brings a box of stolen jewellery to the church, only for the monk to suggest that the items should be distributed among the clergy rather than returned to their rightful owner. This satirical verse reinforces the visual characterisation of the monk as a receiver of stolen goods. The work belongs to a tradition of moralising prints that were popular in the Netherlands during the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. These prints often employed humour and caricature to address social and religious issues of the day.

Jacob Gole was known for his technical skill in mezzotint, a medium that allowed for a painterly effect through the roughening of the copper plate. His work often included portraits, genre scenes, and allegorical subjects. This specific print demonstrates his ability to combine precise detail with a narrative message. The contrast between the monk's religious attire and his avaricious behaviour is the central theme of the piece. It remains a clear example of how printmakers of the period used their craft to comment on the moral failings of those in positions of authority.