Sébastien Le Clerc I

Sébastien Le Clerc I was a printmaker whose activity is documented around the year 1600. While details regarding his nationality and training remain sparse, his established output consists of highly narrative religious prints. Fifteen of these prints are documented in institutional collections, confirming his practice during the transition into the 17th century.

Le Clerc I specialized in rendering key scenes from the Passion cycle. His compositions focused specifically on New Testament narratives, characterized by dramatic representation and detailed line work typical of period high-quality prints. Representative works preserved in museum collections include Christ Arrives on the Mount of Olives, Agony in the Garden, the central scene of the Betrayal of Judas, and the devotional representation Christ Dying on the Cross. Other known works include Christ Appearing to His Disciples.

Examples of Sébastien Le Clerc I prints are held in the permanent collections of the National Gallery of Art. Today, many of these historical engravings are available within the public domain, often reproduced as museum-quality prints, ensuring continued study and appreciation of his documented oeuvre.