The Circumcision
1594
Hendrick Goltzius turns a copper plate into a masterpiece of light and shadow in this 1594 engraving, depicting the solemn circumcision of the infant Jesus inside a soaring Gothic church. You can almost feel the anxiety of the onlookers, especially the central female figure, as the ritual unfolds. Goltzius was a rockstar of the Mannerist print world, famous for a 'swelling line' technique that made his metal engravings look as soft and fluid as brushstrokes on canvas.
- Technique
- Engraving
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