Artwork
Large Wedding Dancers
Large Wedding Dancers is an ink print by the Northern Renaissance artist Heinrich Aldegrever. It dates from 1538 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Large Wedding Dancers is an engraving created by Heinrich Aldegrever in 1538. It is a black-and-white print depicting three muscular men playing wind instruments.
Subject & Meaning
The scene shows three men with serious expressions playing a long horn, a curved trumpet, and a recorder-like pipe. Their clothing is tight, and their hair is wavy. The figures' large hands and feet convey a sense of energy.
Technique & Style
Aldegrever used cross-hatching, a technique involving tiny crisscrossed lines, to create shadows and define the figures' shapes. This method gives the print a sense of solidity despite the lack of color.
History & Provenance
Heinrich Aldegrever was a German painter and engraver associated with the 'Little Masters,' a group of artists known for their small-scale prints following in the tradition of Albrecht Dürer.
Artist & collection
Artist
Heinrich Aldegrever or Aldegraf was a German painter and engraver. He was one of the "Little Masters", the group of German artists making small old master prints in the generation after Albrecht Dürer.
