Handrick Goltzius, Goltzius's Right Hand, 1588
Teylers Museum, Haarlem, The Netherlands
That's right, he drew it himself. Supposedly, he fell into a fire as a small child and grabbed onto the coals. A maid or family friend bandaged him up, only to have his two fingers fuse.
Nonetheless, he was able to draw in ink and create extravagant engravings. His disfigured hand became one of the icons of Northern European prints, giving a sense of grace and legitimacy to prints by his students and many others beyond his artistic circle.
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