around 1494 -1533 · Leiden, Antwerp and Dutch Renaissance

A prodigy engraver, subtle painter and inventive narrator, Lucas van Leyden circulated the Northern Renaissance throughout Europe.

Lucas van Leyden was born in Leiden around 1494. Trained by his father then by Cornelis Engebrechtsz, he acquired a reputation as a prodigy at a very young age. His first dated engravings appeared while he was still a teenager. Burin, etching and wood engraving allowed him to build crowds, architecture and stories of exceptional finesse. His prints circulated throughout Europe and influenced even Italian artists. Albrecht Dürer constitutes a decisive model; the two men met in Antwerp in 1521. Lucas did not copy slavishly; the two men met in Antwerp in 1521. Lucas did not copy slavishly; the two men met in Antwerp in 1521. However, Lucas did not copy slavishly: he transformed German inventions with a more intimate sense of space, psychology and life daily. The Allegory of Youth Crossing Glory and Madness testifies to his taste for complex moral images. The Annunciation combines architecture, light and restrained gestures, while the Crucifixion orders the crowd around the central drama. His self-portraits show an artist aware of his new status. Painter, designer, engraver and creator of stained glass windows, Lucas created in 1526 the great triptych of the Last Judgment for Leiden, a synthesis of Nordic traditions and Italian forms. Died prematurely in 1533, Lucas created the great triptych of the Last Judgment for Leiden in 1526, a synthesis of Nordic traditions and Italian forms. Died prematurely in 1533, Lucas created the great triptych of the Last Judgment for Leiden in 1526, a synthesis of Nordic traditions and Italian forms. Died prematurely in 1533, Lucas created the great triptych of the Last Judgment for Leiden in 1526, a synthesis of Nordic traditions and Italian forms. Died prematurely in 1533, Lucas created the great triptych of the Last Judgment for Leiden in 1526, a synthesis of of Youth and Annunciation. Its reading favors details.

Lucas van Leyden engraves like a director: each figure has a role, each detail moves the story and each shadow constructs the space.