Martelaarschap van de tienduizend (zevende deel)

About this artwork

verzamelaarsmerk, verso, gestempeld: Lugt 240

Art Historical Context

Domenico Campagnola's *Martelaarschap van de tienduizend (zevende deel)*, created around 1515–1520, captures the dramatic intensity of the legendary Martyrdom of the Ten Thousand Christian soldiers, a popular Renaissance subject drawn from early medieval hagiography. As the seventh installment in a series, this work reflects the Venetian artist's mastery of religious narrative, influenced by the High Renaissance emphasis on emotional depth and human suffering. Campagnola, a prominent engraver and pupil of Titian, bridged painting and printmaking during Venice's golden age of graphic arts. The medium—a counterproof—is particularly intriguing. Taken from a freshly inked proof, it produces a mirror image, allowing artists like Campagnola to review compositions, make corrections, or even use it as a transfer drawing. This rare survival (533 × 399 mm) offers a behind-the-scenes glimpse into Renaissance print techniques, showcasing fine line work and tonal subtlety typical of Venetian engraving. On the verso, a stamped collector's mark (Lugt 240) attests to its esteemed provenance, linking it to historic European collections. For visitors, this piece not only evokes the fervor of Counter-Reformation spirituality but also highlights printmaking's role in disseminating sacred stories to wide audiences.

About the Artist

Domenico Campagnola · 1500–1564

Domenico Campagnola (c. 1500–1564), a Venetian Renaissance painter, engraver, and pioneering draftsman, was born around 1500, likely in Venice to German parents, and became a child prodigy under the tutelage of his adoptive father, Giulio Campagnola. Apprenticed to Giulio around 1507 in Venice, he mastered painting, drawing, engraving, and woodcutting from the esteemed Paduan engraver, whose stipp...