1589
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Proserpine is a 1589 ink by Hendrik Goltzius, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This print shows a woman half-buried in the ground, clutching a stalk of grain. Her face is turned upward, as if reaching for something. Around her, trees and bushes grow wild, while a half-collapsed building sits in the background. The colors are mostly browns and grays, with some soft greens and whites. The woman’s pose and the grain suggest she might be tied to an old story about nature and seasons. The print uses layers of ink to create shadows and light—this was a tricky technique for its time. Next, look up woodcut to see how artists like this made prints with blocks of wood.
Hendrick Goltzius (German: , Dutch: ; né Goltz; January or February 1558 – 1 January 1617) was a German-born Dutch printmaker, draftsman, and painter.
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