Schongauer << SHOHN gow uhr >>, Martin (1450?-1491), was one of the first German painters to work extensively as an engraver. He became the most skillful engraver in Europe during the 1470’s and 1480’s. His work greatly influenced younger artists, most notably Albrecht Dürer, and he was widely copied in many countries.
Schongauer’s 115 known engravings have a delicate, graceful quality and a sense of depth not seen in the work of earlier printmakers. Most of his engravings and all of his paintings have religious themes. Schongauer’s most famous paintings are the Virgin in the Rose Arbor (1473) and the large mural Last Judgment (about 1491) in Breisach. His best-known engravings include The Death of the Virgin Mary and Christ Bearing the Cross. Schongauer was born and worked in Colmar, Alsace (now in France). He died on Feb. 2, 1491.
