# Milk-maid [View the canonical artwork record]() ## Artwork - Artist: [LEYDEN, Lucas van]() - Date: 1501-1550 - Technique: Copper engraving, 111 x 151 mm ## Commentary 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 <A onclick="return OpenOther\('/html/d/durer/2/11/6/02leyden.html'\)" HREF="/html/d/durer/2/11/6/02leyden.html">silverpoint portrait</A> 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. ## Related artworks - [Abraham and Isaac on Their Way to the Place of Sacrifice]() - [Adam and Eve \(Expulsion from the Paradise\)]() - [Adam and Eve]() - [Cain Killing Abel]() - [Cain Killing Abel]() - [Card Players]() - [Card Players]() - [Card Players]() - [Christ Healing the Blind \(detail\)]() - [Christ Healing the Blind]() - [Crucifixion]() - [Dance of Mary Magdalen]() ## Attribution [Web Gallery of Art]()