1512
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Marcus Curtius Plunging into the Chasm is a 1512 ink by Lucas Cranach the Elder, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This woodcut shows a dramatic scene with people and animals in a garden. In the center stands a fancy pavilion with a dome and pillars, while a man on horseback rides toward a gaping hole in the ground. Around him, other figures—some naked, some in armor—stand or kneel, watching. A large, winged creature lies sprawled on the ground, and birds fly overhead. The hole in the ground is a key detail—it’s a chasm, and the man on horseback is about to ride into it. This kind of scene was often used to show bravery or sacrifice in art. Next, look up woodcut to see how this printmaking technique works.
Lucas Cranach the Elder was a German Renaissance painter and printmaker in woodcut and engraving.
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