The Crucifixion, from the Circular Passion

Art Historical Context

Behold Lucas van Leyden's *The Crucifixion*, captivating engraving from his innovative *Circular Passion* series created in 1509 This Northern Renaissance masterpiece depicts the pivotal moment of Christ's crucifixion, by grieving women and men, rendered in a striking circular format with a diameter of 11 inches. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department, exemplifies van Leyden's prodigious talent as a Dutch engraver who, at just 21, revolutionized printmaking with his precise lines and intricate details. Van Leyden, often called the "Michelangelo of the North,...

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...