Kerkgeleerden waaronder Nicolas Perrenot de Granvelle en Michele Maio, plaat [GG] - Nicolaas Hogenberg

A detailed sixteenth-century etching by Nicolaas Hogenberg depicting a procession of ecclesiastical and legal scholars on horseback.

This etching by Nicolaas Hogenberg captures a procession of ecclesiastical scholars and legal experts, including figures such as Nicolas Perrenot de Granvelle and Michele Maio. Hogenberg, a Flemish artist active in the early sixteenth century, is recognised for his detailed documentation of contemporary events and courtly life. The work displays the technical precision characteristic of the period, with fine lines defining the figures, their horses, and the heraldic elements positioned above the main scene.

The composition is organised in a frieze-like manner, a common approach in sixteenth-century printmaking to depict large groups or ceremonial processions. The figures are rendered in profile or three-quarter view, mounted on horses that move across the frame. Above the riders, the artist includes a decorative cartouche containing text, flanked by elaborate coats of arms. This arrangement serves to identify the participants and provide historical context for the viewer. The Latin inscription at the base, 'NICOL PERNOT MICHAELMAIVS INNVMERICANONVM LEGMQVE DOCTORES VIRE CONSVI', confirms the identities of the primary subjects as doctors of law and canon law.

Hogenberg’s work provides a window into the visual culture of the Habsburg court. The attention to costume, including the hats and heavy cloaks worn by the scholars, reflects the fashion of the era. The etching technique allows for a clarity of detail that captures the textures of the garments and the musculature of the horses. This print is part of a larger series documenting the procession of Charles V, a project that occupied Hogenberg for several years. The work remains a valuable record of the political and social hierarchy of the time, presented with the formal rigour expected of a court-commissioned artist.