Lucas van Leyden

Lore & Background

Lucas van Leyden learned basic techniques from his father and from Cornelis Engelbrechtsz, but his precocious originality was paramount. Where he learnt engraving is unknown, but he took advantage of the works of Marcantonio Raimondi and became highly skilled at a very early age: the earliest known print by him dates from 1508, when he was perhaps only 14, yet reveals no trace of immaturity. Karel van Mander characterizes Lucas as a tireless artist who as a child annoyed his mother by working long hours after nightfall; as a boy he only consorted with other young artists and was paid a golden florin for each of his years at age 12 for a watercolour of St. Hubert. It has been suggested that she later married the painter Dammas Claesz de Hoij, but this relationship is uncertain and not widely accepted in art-historical canon. Seventeen paintings surely by Lucas survive, and a further twenty-seven are known from descriptions by Karel van Mander, from contemporary copies, or from drawings by Jan de Bisschop. Max Friedländer described no clear pattern of stylistic development, in part because Lucas's oeuvre was swelled and obscured by attributions since found unsustainable.

Reader's Guide

Lucas van Leyden is significant as one of the first Dutch painters to work in genre painting and as a master engraver whose early maturity is evident in his 1508 print. Four broad stages in his development have been characterized: early half-length figures, development of landscapes, influence of Antwerp paintings, and late works with multiple figures in wooded landscapes. His prints include secular subjects and biblical scenes such as 'Adoration of the Magi' and 'The Holy Family'. Today his work is held in numerous international collections, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the British Museum, and the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen.

Did You Know?

• Lucas van Leyden's earliest known print, 'The Pilgrims' (or 'The Beggars'), dates from 1508, when he was perhaps only 14.

Gallery