The Seed finding Good Earth
1574
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1574
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
A farmer scatters seed across dark, rich soil while a crowd of people watches behind him. In the distance, golden wheat sways under a bright sky. This is one of four prints illustrating a Bible story about different kinds of soil—and different kinds of hearts. The artist made it in Antwerp, where printing was booming. Tiny details, like the way the farmer’s robe folds, show how carefully the image was carved into metal before inking. To see how light and shadow shape a scene like this, look up *chiaroscuro*.
