Hendrick Goltzius and the Netherlandish Chiaroscuro Woodcut

In the most recent catalogue of Hendrick Goltzius's prints, twenty-three chiaroscuros and two line block woodcuts have been attributed to him. These woodcuts, although a very important part of his oeuvre, have in general been treated as an isolated phenomenon, without reference to his engravings and drawings. It is the intention of the author to rectify this bias and to place these woodcuts in their proper context. In order to do so I have examined the history of the chiaroscuro woodcut in the northern and southern Netherlands from its beginnings in the mid-sixteenth century to its final flowering about a hundred years later. It was proved to be a rather sporadic history, with different artists pursuing their own ends. Goltzius himself is no exception to this general trend. By looking at the woodcuts in the context of his other works, I have found that they are very much a product of his individual concerns and have little to do with earlier examples of the medium. However, his woodcuts proved to be somewhat more complex than was hitherto thought. Some prints were intended from the beginning as chiaroscuros while others had color added only at a later date and perhaps not by Goltzius himself. Also certain color combinations are characteristic of early impressions, while others are found only on late examples of the works. In examining the prints I have made substantial revisions in the attribution giving a group of fourteen line block woodcuts to him and revising the attribution of seven of the woodcuts usually considered to be by him.