Van Leyden, Lucas, The Joys of this World and Mary Magdalene or The Dance of Magdalene
This highly influential and under-appreciated Old Master engraver was born into a modest Dutch family in the late 15th century; there are arguments… [Read biography »]
  |
 |
Lucas Van Leyden, Original Van Leyden Engraving, The Joys of this World and Mary Magdalene or The Dance of Magdalene  |
Place your cursor over the thumbnails below to view the full-size image:
| Artist: | Van Leyden, Lucas (1494 - 1533) |
|---|---|
| Title: | The Joys of this World and Mary Magdalene or The Dance of Magdalene |
| Reference: | B.122; Lav.117 |
| Medium: | Original Van Leyden Engraving |
| Image Size: | 15 1/4 in x 11 1/2 in (38.7 cm x 29.2 cm) |
| Framed Size: | 29 1/2 in x 25 1/2 in (75 cm x 64.8 cm) |
| Signed: | Inscribed in the lower center '1519 L' |
| Condition: | This work is in good sound condition, a presentable copy that has had professional conservation! |
| Price: Item# 2435 | $SOLD Please visit the rest of our Van Leyden fine art collection |
| Description: | |
Created in 1519, this work is printed on a fine laid paper and is in good condition with professional conservation. Inscribed in the lower center '1519 L', other examples of this work are in the collections of the British Museum, London and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Depicting a vast landscape with intricate figurative studies, this work illustrates the artist's technical skill and mastery of the medium. This scene of sacred celebration evokes a sense of the joy and inspiration the artist felt for this subject. J.G. van Gelder discussed this work in his book, 'Dutch Drawings and Prints', "(this work is one of) A number of scenes from the worldly career of Mary Magdalene inspired by miracle plays shortly after 1500. In the foreground can be seen the saint herself, with a halo, dancing with a young man to the strains of flute and drum; in the middle distance she is shown the hunt pursuing a deer; in the background, high in the clouds, her ascension appears, on a much smaller scale." (van Gelder 44) Catalogue Raisonné & COA: 1) van Gelder, J. G., Dutch Drawings and Prints, 1959, listed as plate 9 with details on pg 44. 2) Lavalleye, Jacques, Pieter Bruegel the Elder and Lucas van Leyden, The Complete Engravings, Etchings, and Woodcuts, listed as van Leyden 117. About the Framing: | |
About Us: Masterworks Fine Art, Inc. strives to be the best source of fine art for our clients and collectors all over the world. We believe the most direct way to accomplish this is by establishing a lifetime of personal and professional relationships with our clients. More About Us »
Do you own a similar Van Leyden Engraving to sell? We offer free evaluations.
Biography of Lucas Van Leyden
This highly influential and under-appreciated Old Master engraver was born into a modest Dutch family in the late 15th century; there are arguments to his birthdate - some scholars believe it to have been as early as 1489, but most agree on 1494. His father was a Mannerist painter, his mother was a daughter of a local organist; together they encouraged Lucas’s creative and artistic upbringing, allowing him to work late into the night with a myriad of tools, including charcoal, crayons, pens, and paint brushes. One of his earliest works date to 1508, a print titled The Drunkenness of Mohammed which he created in his early teens. Roughly a decade later, he fled Leyden during the town’s horrific bout of floods and plagues. In the early 1520s, the artist settled in Antwerp with his new bride, Lysbeth van Boschhuysen. Here, he met fellow Master, Albrecht Dürer. Young Lucas left an impression on Dürer as he notes in his diary that Lucas “was a quite small man, a native of Leyden” (Lavalleye 8).
As Lucas steadily perfected his engraved technique, he sought inspiration during his travels throughout the Netherlands, including stops in towns like Zeeland, Flanders, Ghent, and Malines. Accompanied by friend and painter, Jean Gossart, their journey was a creative one. Lucas was highly regarded in the societies which he visited, having been documented as a well-dressed, expensive dresser with a studied grace and elegance. Unfortunately, this period marked a decline in his health, as he was known to work well into the night – a trait he had since he was a child. Also known to have been a workaholic, scholars suggest he had suffered from a severe case of tuberculosis, often bedridden and feverish. He died at the age of 39 back in his home town of Leyden in 1533.
J. Lavalleye (1967) esteems van Leyden as “a master, tireless and endowed with a rich creative imagination, an engraver of rare originality and incomparable technique” (7). His engravings range from the secular to the pastoral, the religious to the hedonistic, but all share a common link of innovative composition with exquisite detail and shading while remaining true to his classically Dutch style. Having been influenced by the Italian Renaissance and Mannerism, one can see the progression and establishment of his style, particularly on his copper engravings and even some of his books.
