1500
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Dominant colour
The King's Sons Shooting at their Dead Father's Body is a 1500 by Mair von Landshut, a Renaissance work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
This black-and-white print shows a dramatic scene: three shirtless men stand in a courtyard, watching a fourth man shoot arrows at a dead body on the ground. One man holds a bow, aiming carefully. Another leans against a pillar, arms crossed. A distant hilltop has a small castle and trees. The ground is scattered with arrows, plants, and a few scattered objects. The dead man’s pose and the archers’ calm expressions suggest this isn’t just violence—it’s a deliberate, symbolic act. The print’s sharp lines and deep shadows create a tense, almost theatrical mood. Next, look up chiaroscuro to see how artists used light and dark to tell stories.
Mair von Landshut (active c. 1485–1504 or later) was a German engraver, painter, and designer of woodcuts, who worked in Bavaria. He probably came from Freising near Munich, and worked in both towns, as well as…
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