Equestrian Portrait of the Emperor Maximilian
1508
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1508
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Equestrian Portrait of the Emperor Maximilian is a 1508 by Hans Burgkmair the Elder, a Renaissance work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
This woodcut shows Emperor Maximilian on horseback in strict profile, like a Roman coin. His armor gleams in white, the horse in black ink. Above him, tiny Latin letters spell out his grand titles. The artist used two blocks to print the image—one for light, one for dark. This trick, called chiaroscuro (pronounced "ky-ah-roh-SKOO-roh"), makes the scene pop off the page. Want to see more of his prints? Look up Hans Burgkmair (German, 1473–1531).
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