St. Matthew, from the series The Four Evangelists

Art Historical Context

Behold Lucas van Leyden's exquisite engraving *St. Matthew from the series The Fourists* (1518), a gem of the Northern Renaissance housed in the Metropolitan Museum of's Drawings and Prints department. Dutch prodigy Lucas van Leyden (1494–1533), a master the Leiden school, created this intimate work—measuring just 4¼ × 2⅞ inches—as part of a celebrated quartet depicting the Gospel writers. Produced during the early Reformation era, it captures the saint in a moment of divine inspiration, pen in hand, accompanied by angels, symbolizing the sacred authorship of scripture. Van Leyden's genius sh...

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...