1597
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Prudence is a 1597 ink by Jan Muller, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This engraving shows a woman sitting on a rock, holding a mirror in one hand. She’s naked except for a draped cloth over her lap. Her hair is piled up, and she looks down at the mirror while her other arm rests on her knee. The Latin text at the bottom calls her *Prudence*—a word for careful thought. The artist used fine lines to show her skin and the folds of the cloth, making it look almost like a drawing. Try looking up engraving to see how artists like this carved images into metal.
Jan Harmensz. Muller (1571–1628) was a Dutch engraver and painter. Muller was born in Amsterdam. His father was a book printer, engraver and publisher. He learned the engraving trade while working in the family…
See the richer artist page
