Artwork
The Surgeon
The Surgeon is an ink print by the Renaissance artist Lucas van Leyden. It dates from 1524 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
The Surgeon is an engraving on laid paper created by Lucas van Leyden in 1524. It exemplifies the artist's technical skill and contribution to the Northern Renaissance.
Subject & Meaning
The engraving depicts a surgeon extracting a stone from a kneeling man's head, conveying a sense of tension and anticipation. The scene is a representation of everyday life, characteristic of genre painting.
Technique & Style
The work showcases van Leyden's mastery of engraving, with fine detail and cross-hatching used to create texture and depth. The simple background and composition focus attention on the procedure.
Artist & collection
Artist
Lucas van Leyden (1494 – 8 August 1533), was a Dutch painter and printmaker in engraving and woodcut. Lucas van Leyden was among the first Dutch exponents of genre painting and was a very accomplished engraver.
Salome with the head of St John the Baptist
The Virgin and Child
Worship of the Golden Calf
A Game of Chess
Mary with Child, St. Maria Magdalena and founder (separate outside, Inv. No. 7713)
Inner left wing of a diptych with Christ as the Man of Sorrows
Inner right wing of a diptych with the Virgin as Mater Dolorosa
Annunciation
![The Surgeon [reverse copy], by Netherlandish 16th Century](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/netherlandish-16th-century--the-surgeon-reverse-copy--12ced91956e84708-w320.webp)
