Pencz, Georg

Pencz, Georg gāˈôrkh pĕnts [key], c.1500–1550, German painter and engraver of the Nuremberg school. He probably studied with Dürer in Nuremberg. He was banished in 1525 but soon returned. Pencz is thought to have visited Italy and to have worked with Raimondi. The influence of Italian mannerism is evident in his work. Of his paintings the best are portraits, such as those of Marshal Schirmer (Nuremberg); Erhard Schwetzer and his wife (Berlin); and Young Man (Vienna). As an engraver he ranks among the best of the German “Little Masters.” Notable prints include Six Triumphs of Petrarch; portrait of John Frederick I, elector of Saxony; and Life of Christ (26 plates).

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