The Circumcision

Hendrick Goltzius

1594

The Circumcision by Hendrick Goltzius, 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
Views: 6

Related Artworks