La Statue d’or a Babylone,.. / Das Königliche Bild zu Babel,..

Title

La Statue d’or a Babylone,.. / Das Königliche Bild zu Babel,..

Description

The peep-box picture shows the statue of King Nebuchadnezzar II in Babylon (in modern-day Iraq), where Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were thrown into the fiery furnace because they disobeyed the king's decree. Thanks to an angel of God, they remained unharmed. The king had to realise that there was someone more powerful than him. Below you will find the picture description in German and French.

ca. 1760

Artist

Probst (1732-1801)

Georg Balthasar Probst (1732–1801), Georg Balthasar Probst was a German artist, engraver and publisher in Augsburg, a major European publishing center in the 17th and 18th centuries. He produced architectural views of places around the world intended as vues d’optiques, which were published in various places during the last half of the 18th century, including Paris, Augsburg and London. He was also known for his portraits. Probst came from an extended family of printers, whose businesses can all be traced back to the publishing firm of Jeremias Wolff (1663-1724). After Wolff's death his firm was continued as “Wolff’s Heirs” (Haeres Jer. Wolffii) by his son-in-law Johann Balthasar Probst (1689-1750). After Probst’s death in 1750, his descendants divided the business and published under their own imprints: Johann Friedrich Probst (1721-1781), Georg Balthasar Probst (1732-1801) and Johann Michael Probst. Another part of the Wolff-Probst firm was acquired by the Augsburg publisher Johann Georg Hertel (1700-1775), whose son Georg Leopold Hertel had married a sister of the Probsts. In the next generation, Georg Mathäus Probst (d. 1788), son of Georg Balthasar Probst, also became an engraver of portraits and views.

Historical Description

King Nebuchadnezzar II was a significant ruler of the Neo-Babylonian Empire, who reigned from around 605 to 562 BC. He is known for his military conquests, particularly the conquest of Jerusalem in 586 BC, which led to the destruction of the First Temple and the Babylonian captivity of the Jews. Nebuchadnezzar is often associated with impressive construction projects, including the famous Hanging Gardens of Babylon, which are considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. His reign was characterized by a mix of military strength and cultural flourishing, as he promoted Babylonian culture and religion. In the Bible, Nebuchadnezzar is mentioned in several books, particularly in the Book of Daniel, where he is portrayed as a powerful king who is also punished by God. A well-known story is that of his dream, which Daniel interpreted, as well as the episode in which he threw the three Jewish men Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego into the fiery furnace for refusing to worship his golden statue. Nebuchadnezzar eventually died after a long and influential reign, and his legacy continues to live on in history and culture today.