Knight and Lady on Horseback
c. 1500
Medium
engraving on laid paper
Dimensions
sheet (trimmed to plate mark): 12.6 × 11.1 cm (4 15/16 × 4 3/8 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Rosenwald Collection
Accession Number
1943.3.181
Art Historical Context
Created around 1500 by the enigmatic printmaker known only as Master MZ, *Knight and Lady on Horseback* exemplifies the early flowering of engraving as an art form in Northern Europe. This small, meticulously worked print—measuring just under five inches square—captures a chivalric scene with remarkable precision, reflecting the period’s fascination with courtly ideals and romantic narratives. The compact scale and crisp lines suggest it was designed both for intimate viewing and wider circulation through the reproductive power of print. Engraving on laid paper allowed artists like Master MZ ...
About the Artist
Master MZ · 1477–1525
The artist known as Master MZ is one of the most accomplished and enigmatic printmakers of the German Renaissance, active around the turn of the sixteenth century. The designation derives from the monogram MZ with which the artist signed a small but technically extraordinary group of engravings, and despite sustained scholarly inquiry, the individual behind these initials has never been conclusive...