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Although the quality of his paintings should not be underestimated, Goltzius's fame rests on his work as a graphic artist. Notwithstanding his crippled right hand - fire maimed it, and he was unable to extend his fingers - he was an extraordinary technician and unsurpassed virtuoso of the engraver's burin and the pen. Uncanny sureness and infinite patience never failed him, and he dazzled his contemporaries with his performances.
The Goltzius drawings that his contemporaries admired above all were his highly finished pen and inks drawings that simulate the swelling and tapering lines of engravings - they were called 'penwerken' (pen works).
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