The Dance of Mary Magdalene; Mary led in a dance by a man at her right; surrounded by couples and groups in the foreground; an extensive landscape with hunting scenes with Mary on horseback in middle ground and in distance a rocky cliff. Dated 1519 and signed with his monogram "L" on a sheet of paper at bottom middle. This is an original engraving after Lucas Van Leyden. It is an engraving from the 18th century on watermarked laid paper, identical to the one in the British Museum.. For date reference, see British Museum 1959,0223.2 Dimensions: 28.70 x 40.00 cm Reference: New Hollstein (Dutch & Flemish) / The New Hollstein: Dutch and Flemish etchings, engravings and woodcuts 1450-1700 (122.) Bartsch / Le Peintre graveur (VII.402.122) Literature: Lucas van Leyden was the most famous printmaker in the Renaissance after Albrecht Dürer. A child prodigy, some of his surviving works may date from when he was only fourteen years old. Under Dürer's influence he combined exceptional technical gifts with a fresh approach to a wide range of subject matter. The Magdalene's Dance is the earliest known depiction of this subject. We see the saint (marked by her halo), one of Jesus Christ's most devoted followers, enjoying the pleasures of the world as a courtesan prior to her conversion to his service. The informal way in which the saint is depicted by Lucas was novel. She is among well dressed lovers and musicians, and in the background is observed again, participating in a stag-hunt. Finally, although the print nowhere else alludes to her conversion, she is seen in miniature in the distance at the top of the print, being transported to heaven by angels.