1596
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Mars Presiding Over the Arts of War is a 1596 ink by Jan Pietersz Saenredam, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This engraving shows a muscular man standing tall in the center, holding a spear. Around him, soldiers in armor and helmets fight or kneel on the ground. Some soldiers look up at him, while others rest their weapons. In the background, a ram’s head and a shell float in the sky. The text at the bottom is in Latin, hinting at themes of war and victory. The artist used fine lines and shading to create depth, making the figures look three-dimensional. Next, check out the technique: engraving, cross-hatching to see how artists like this made detailed prints.
Jan Pieterszoon (abbr. Pietersz.) Saenredam (c. 1565 – 6 April 1607) was a Dutch Northern Mannerist painter, printmaker in engraving, and cartographer, and father of the painter of church interiors, Pieter Jansz…
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