Bishop's Crosier
1475/80
Medium
Engraving on ivory laid paper
Dimensions
Sheet: 28.2 × 11 cm (11 1/8 × 4 3/8 in.)
Classification
engraving
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
86267
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Martin Schongauer was renowned as a painter, but he is best known today for his engravings. Bishop’s Crosier attests to his superior technique in this exacting medium. The refinement of his line allowed him to capture every detail of the ritual object he rendered, while his family background in goldsmith work informed his depiction of this intricate three-dimensional piece.
About the Artist
Martin Schongauer · 1435–1491
Martin Schongauer, born around 1450–1453 in Colmar, Alsace, emerged from a family of skilled artisans. The third of four or five sons of goldsmith Caspar Schongauer, who had relocated from Augsburg to Colmar around 1440, Martin was immersed in the goldsmith's trade from youth, likely receiving his initial training in his father's workshop—a common path for early engravers. He further honed his ski...