Sts. Peter and Paul Seated in a Landscape
1527
Medium
Engraving
Dimensions
sheet: 5 11/16 x 3 15/16 in. (14.4 x 10 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1948
Accession Number
48.46.1
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the serene landscape of Lucas van Leyden's *s. Peter and Paulated in a Landscape* (1527), two foundational Christian saints rest side by side, embodying harmony and apostolic authority. Created as an engraving—a meticulous intaglio printmaking technique where lines are incised into a metal plate—this small work (just 5 11/16 x 3 15/16 inches) exemplifies the Dutch master's precision. Van Leyden, a prodigy of the Northern Renaissance who died young at 39, rivaled Albrecht Dürer in technical virtuosity, producing intricate images that could be widely disseminated during the Reformation era. ...
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...