Hendrick Goltzius (1558 - 1617)
The Circumcision from the Life of the Virgin series
Title
The Circumcision from the Life of the Virgin series
Dating
1594
Material/Technique
Engraving on paper
Dimensions
Tryckyta 47,40 x 35,40 cm
Papper 48,60 x 36,70 cm
Category
Inventory number
G W 218
Acquisition
Gift of Carolina Wahlberg with daughter, 1880
Display Status
Not on display at the museum
Description
The Circumcision belongs to the series The Life of the Virgin Mary, which comprised six master prints based on the nativity of Jesus, carried out in the style of Dürer. The print became a great success when art lovers and collectors in Rome, Venice and Amsterdam, among other places, believed that it had been made by Dürer himself. Goltzius supposedly went so far as to slightly burn the prints to give them an aged and authentic look.
Goltzius has also included his self-portrait in the scene, among the figures in the background. He looks at us from around a column to the right – one of the few persons in the crowd who meet the viewer’s gaze.
Signature/Inscription
Signature (nedtill i mitten i plåten): 1594 HG
Inscriptions (Nere till vänster i plåten): Cernis vt octana sit...
Inscriptions (Nere till vänster i plåten): 4
Inscriptions (Nere till höger i plåten): Ad normam veteris legis...
Inscriptions (Nere till höger i plåten): C. Schoneus
Inscriptions (a tergo upptill i mitten): xvi
Inscriptions (a tergo nere till vänster): W 218
Exhibition History
Printed. Prints as collector's items, mass media and showpieces, Göteborg, Göteborgs konstmuseum, 14/03/2020 - 16/08/2020
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