PROVENANCE: Julius Weitzner, New York and London; Gift of Mr. and Mrs. George P. Campbell to BJU, 1957.

Maerten van Heemskerck was a member of Jan van Scorel's workshop. In 1532 he traveled to Rome, where he studied the contemporary art of Michelangelo and Raphael. When he returned to the Netherlands, he became the most prominent of the Romanist artists. In addition to his reputation as a painter, he became renowned for his work as a printmaker.

The fantastical landscape is typical of Heemskerck's compositions, but the mysterious autograph, D. M., on a rock in the left foreground prevents definite attribution. The figure of Jonah reveals Michelangelo's obvious influence. The Vatican obelisk and the Tiber Bridge, sites Heemskerck would have seen while in Rome, are clearly visible in the background.