1565
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Dominant colour
The Fall of the Magician is a 1565 ink by Pieter van der Heyden, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This chaotic scene is packed with tiny, wild figures. Some are human, some look like monsters or animals. They’re tangled together—playing instruments, fighting, dancing, and falling. The background has a dark, stormy sky with a shipwreck and a burning tower. One figure in the center seems to be a magician, surrounded by chaos. The artist used tiny lines to create shadows and texture, a method called cross-hatching. It makes the scene feel busy and intense. Look up engraving to see how artists like this one made detailed prints.
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.
See the richer artist page
