1511
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
The Virgin and Child on the Crescent is a 1511 ink by Lucas van Leyden, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This engraving shows a woman holding a baby, both floating against a plain background. Her robe flows softly, and the baby reaches toward her face. She holds a crescent moon under her foot, and a golden staff rests in her left hand. The artist used fine lines to create shadows and texture, especially in the fabric and hair. This kind of detailed linework is called cross-hatching. Look up cross-hatching to see how artists build depth with just lines.
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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