1565
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Saint James and the Magician Hermogenes is a 1565 ink by Pieter van der Heyden, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This engraving is packed with tiny, chaotic scenes. At the center, a robed figure stands tall, holding a staff while pointing at a crowd of distorted, screaming people. Some clutch pots, others hide under tables or howl like animals. The background swarms with odd creatures, tools, and upside-down figures—even a cat peeks from the corner. The text at the bottom reads like a title, but the real trick is how the artist crams so much into one small space. Every inch is filled with movement and weirdness, like a crowded nightmare. Try looking up engraving to see how artists carve these wild details into metal.
Pieter van der Heyden (c. 1530 - after March 1572) was a Flemish printmaker who is known for his reproductive engravings after works by leading Flemish painters and designers of the 16th century.
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