"Milk-maid"

Lucas van Leyden - Oil
Germany produced the majority of the leading printmakers of the fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries. In France and in the Low Countries, printmaking evolved more slowly and without the concentration of talented practitioners found in Germany. However, Dürer had a skilled Netherlandish rival: Lucas van LEyden. The two artists met in Antwerp in June 1521, when Lucas hosted Dürer who, in turn made a silverpoint portrait of the younger Dutch artist. The everyday subject of the Milkmaid belies Lucas van Leyden's technical sophistication. He imbued the animals and the young couple with a tactile presence that anchors the entire composition. The interplay of light and shadow defines the various forms, while the proximity of the figures and the strong horizontal format situate the viewer nearby. One watches almost voyeuristically as the awkward young man stares intently at the young maiden. She looks shyly away. Regardless of its erotic undercurrent, this prints presents a remarkable glimpse of country life. The prominent cartellino in the lower centre derives from Dürer.