The Testing of the King's Sons
c. 1500
Medium
engraving
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Rosenwald Collection
Accession Number
1943.3.187
Art Historical Context
Created around 1500 by the enigmatic printmaker known as Master MZ, *The Testing of the King's Sons* exemplifies the early flowering of engraving in Northern Europe. The artist, identified only by his monogram, worked during a pivotal moment when printmaking began to democratize art, allowing intricate images to circulate beyond the walls of churches and palaces. This engraving likely draws on a moral or biblical narrative, inviting viewers to reflect on themes of virtue, succession, and worthiness. As a work on paper from the Rosenwald Collection at the National Gallery of Art, the piece hig...
About the Artist
Master MZ · 1477–1525
The artist known as Master MZ is one of the most accomplished and enigmatic printmakers of the German Renaissance, active around the turn of the sixteenth century. The designation derives from the monogram MZ with which the artist signed a small but technically extraordinary group of engravings, and despite sustained scholarly inquiry, the individual behind these initials has never been conclusive...