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Triumph of the Sea-Gods

Albrecht Altdorfer

1522

ink

paper

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Renaissance Renaissance

Dominant colour

Triumph of the Sea-Gods is a 1522 ink by Albrecht Altdorfer, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: Albrecht Altdorfer
When & what style?: 1522 · Renaissance
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This print shows a wild, chaotic scene of half-human, half-animal figures. In the center, a muscular man with a deer’s head stands on a rock, holding a shell. Around him, other strange creatures—some with horns, some with wings—grab at each other or reach for objects. The background is filled with rough, crisscrossed lines that look like waves or stormy water. Notice how the artist used tiny parallel lines to build up shadows and texture—this isn’t paint, it’s carved into the metal plate. The mix of human and animal bodies feels both fierce and playful. Next, look up engraving to see how this technique works.

About the artist

Artist

Albrecht Altdorfer

Albrecht Altdorfer (c. 1480 – 12 February 1538) was a German painter, engraver and architect of the Renaissance working in Regensburg. Along with Lucas Cranach the Elder and Wolf Huber he is regarded to be the main…

See the richer artist page