Mars
circa 1588-1589
Hendrick Goltzius was the rockstar of Dutch printmaking in the late 1500s, and this piece shows off his famous 'swelling line' technique that made flat figures look like bulging sculptures. You can see why he was called the 'Michelangelo of the North'—Mars's back muscles are so exaggerated and rippling they look ready to burst! The god of war sports a helmet with a tiny, mysterious face on the plume, a quirky detail typical of the Mannerist style which loved complexity and oddities. He holds a spear and looks back over his shoulder, posing like a classical statue come to life.
- Technique
- Chiaroscuro woodcut
- Material
- Paper and ink
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