Coat of Arms with a Mask, Held by Two Genii
1527
Medium
Engraving
Dimensions
sheet: 3 x 4 5/8 in. (7.6 x 11.7 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1967
Accession Number
67.793.35
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the bustling workshops of early 16th-century Netherlands, Lucas van Leyden crafted *Coat of Arms with a Mask, by Two Genii* 1527, a delicate engraving measuring just 3 x 4 5/8 inches. As a leading figure of the Northern Renaissance, vanden was renowned for his masterful printmaking, rivaling Albrecht Dürer in precision and narrative flair. This small-scale work exemplifies his ability to pack intricate detail into intimate formats, making it ideal for collectors and scholars of the era. The composition features two playful genii—winged, childlike spirits—hoisting a heraldic coat of arms ad...
About the Artist
Lucas van Leyden · 1484–1533
Lucas van Leyden (1494–1533) was a Dutch painter and printmaker who stands among the greatest engravers of the Northern Renaissance. Born in Leiden as either Lucas Hugensz or Lucas Jacobsz, he lived and worked primarily in his native city, achieving international renown that rivaled the German master Albrecht Dürer. Lucas van Leyden revolutionized Netherlandish printmaking and was among the first...