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Murder of the Innocents

Nicolas Beatrizet

1520

From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum

Renaissance Renaissance Allegory

Dominant colour

Murder of the Innocents is a 1520 by Nicolas Beatrizet, a Renaissance work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.

Who painted this?: Nicolas Beatrizet
When & what style?: 1520 · Renaissance
Where can I see it?: Victoria and Albert Museum

About this work

This print is packed with action. A big group of people—some standing, some fighting—crowd around a set of stairs. At the top, a few figures look calm, while others below struggle or lie on the ground. The scene has a mix of naked bodies and draped figures, all tangled in drama. Buildings and columns frame the action, and small figures peek from the balcony above. The artist used strong contrasts between light and dark to make the figures pop. This trick makes the scene feel dramatic and almost three-dimensional. Look up chiaroscuro to see how this technique works.

The story of this work

Overview

The engraving *Murder of the Innocents*, after Baccio Bandinelli, is a print on paper by Nicolas Beatrizet, produced in its first state prior to retouching by Philippe Thomassin.

Read the full account in the museum source.