1508
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Saint Mary Magdalene in the Desert is a 1508 ink by Lucas van Leyden, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This engraving shows a woman sitting alone in a rocky desert. She’s wrapped in a loose cloth, her hair wild, and she holds a small cross. Behind her, a tree stands tall, and in the distance, a faint city glows under a bright sky. The artist used fine lines to create shadows and texture, especially in her hair and the rocks. This was a common way to add depth to engravings back then. Next, check out engraving to see how artists like this made detailed prints with just metal and ink.
Lucas van Leyden (1494 – 8 August 1533), was a Dutch painter and printmaker in engraving and woodcut. Lucas van Leyden was among the first Dutch exponents of genre painting and was a very accomplished engraver.
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