Martin Schongauer: The German Master of Engraving

The Louvre will host a major exhibition on Martin Schongauer from April 8 to July 20, 2026, titled "Martin Schongauer. Le bel immortel." Schongauer, born around 1445 in Colmar, was the greatest German engraver before Albrecht Dürer and one of the first artists to achieve pan-European fame during his lifetime. He elevated copper engraving to a high art, creating 116 prints signed with the monogram "M+S" between 1470 and 1490. His works, including "La Vierge au buisson de rose" (1473) and "La Tentation de saint Antoine" (1470-1475), circulated from Spain to Bohemia, influencing Dürer and the young Michelangelo. Dürer attempted to reach Schongauer's workshop in Colmar in 1492, but Schongauer had died on February 2, 1491, in Vieux-Brisach while working on frescoes of the Last Judgment at Saint-Étienne Cathedral. The exhibition will showcase his mastery of the burin, his precise naturalism, and his profound influence on Renaissance art.