Bending Soldier Leaning against a Tree
1520
Medium
Engraving
Dimensions
Sheet: 1 15/16 × 1 5/8 in. (5 × 4.2 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1981
Accession Number
1981.1146
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the early 16th century, engraver Barthel Be crafted *Bending Soldier Leaning a Tree* (1520), a remarkably detailed engraving measuring just under 2 inches. Part of the Northern Renaissance "Little Masters"—named for their mastery of miniature prints—Beham, active in Nuremberg, produced intricate works like this one on a tiny copper plate. The medium of engraving allowed for precise lines and textures, enabling affordable dissemination of images across Europe during a time of growing print culture. This intimate scene captures a weary soldier slumped against a tree, sword at his side, evoki...
About the Artist
Barthel Beham · 1502–1540
Barthel Beham (1502–1540), a pivotal figure in the German Renaissance, was born in Nuremberg into a family of artists. The younger brother of the renowned engraver Hans Sebald Beham, he honed his craft under the tutelage of his elder sibling and the master Albrecht Dürer, absorbing the precise techniques of engraving and painting that defined Nuremberg's vibrant artistic scene. Emerging as a prodi...