Bartholomaeus Spranger and his Late Wife Christina Muller
Medium
engraving on laid paper
Dimensions
sheet: 28.4 x 42.2 cm (11 3/16 x 16 5/8 in.) (trimmed)
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Ruth Cole Kainen
Accession Number
2012.92.593
Art Historical Context
This exquisite engraving, *Bartholomaeusanger and his Late Wife Muller*, captures the renowned Mannerist painter Bartholoma Spranger alongside his beloved wife in a poignant double portrait. Created around 1600 by master engraver Aegidiuseler II after a design by Spranger himself, reflects the intimate personal side of one of the Holy Roman Empire's leading artists. Spranger, a key figure in the Prague court Emperor Rudolf II, was celebrated for his elegant, elongated figures and sensual style that defined Northern Mannerism—a movement blending Italian Renaissance grace with intricate northern...