Mohammed and the Monk Sergius
1508
Medium
Engraving; second state
Dimensions
sheet: 11 1/4 x 8 3/8 in. (28.6 x 21.3 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Harry G. Friedman, 1962
Accession Number
62.635.117
Tags
Art Historical Context
**Mohammed and the Monk Serg** is an early engraving by Lucas van Leyden a Dutch prodigy of the Northern Renaissance born in 1494. in 1508 when the artist was just 14 this second-state impression measures 11¼ × 8⅜ inches and exemplifies van Leyden's precocious mastery of the burin. His intricate line work captures a narrative scene amid a detailed landscape, featuring men, trees, and monks—hallmarks of his style influenced by Albrecht Dürer yet distinctly Northern European in its crisp clarity and atmospheric depth. The title refers to a medieval Christian legend portraying the monk Sergius (...
About the Artist
Lucas van Leyden · 1484–1533
Lucas van Leyden (1494–1533) was a Dutch painter and printmaker who stands among the greatest engravers of the Northern Renaissance. Born in Leiden as either Lucas Hugensz or Lucas Jacobsz, he lived and worked primarily in his native city, achieving international renown that rivaled the German master Albrecht Dürer. Lucas van Leyden revolutionized Netherlandish printmaking and was among the first...