Artwork
Ein man wardt auff ain Rad ...
Ein man wardt auff ain Rad ... is an ink print by the Renaissance artist Master of the Miracles of Mariazell. It dates from 1503 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Created around 1503, the woodcut titled *Ein man wardt auff ain Rad* originates from the hand of the anonymous Master of the Miracles of Mariazell. Executed on laid paper, the print presents a densely populated scene of suffering, dominated by a figure strapped to a wheel and another undergoing torture, all set against an urban backdrop under a turbulent sky.
Subject & Meaning
The composition illustrates a narrative of martyrdom or punitive spectacle, with the central figure on the wheel embodying extreme physical distress. A secondary victim, positioned nearby, undergoes an additional form of torment, suggesting a broader commentary on cruelty or divine retribution within a chaotic, crowded environment.
Technique & Style
The work employs the woodcut method, wherein the artist incised the design into a block of wood, printed onto laid paper that retains a ribbed texture. The stark contrasts of line and the dense hatching are characteristic of early 16th‑century Northern Renaissance printmaking, emphasizing dramatic intensity and spatial depth despite the medium’s limitations.
History & Provenance
Attributed to the Master of the Miracles of Mariazell, an otherwise unknown workshop active in the early 1500s, the print reflects the period’s devotional and didactic visual culture. Surviving copies have been documented in several European collections, indicating the image’s circulation among patrons interested in moralizing imagery during the Renaissance.
Artist & collection
Artist
Master of the Miracles of Mariazell
Master of the Miracles of Mariazell (1500–1503) was an artist.
