Blackwork Design for Goldsmithwork with Monkey, Birds, and Insects
1582–1616
Medium
Engraving and blackwork
Dimensions
Sheet: 1 9/16 × 2 5/16 in. (3.9 × 5.8 cm)
Classification
Prints|Ornament & Architecture
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1924
Accession Number
24.69.2
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the intricate world of Renaissance ornamentation with *Blackwork Design for Goldsmithwork with Monkey Birds, and Insects* by Mathais Beitler created between 1582 and1616. This tiny engraving, measuring just 1 9/16 × 2 5/16 inches, captures a whimsical menagerie of monkeys, birds, bats, insects, and scorpions a compact, lively composition. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department, it exemplifies the period's fascination with nature as decorative inspiration. Beitler's mastery shines in the engraving and blackwork techniques—dense cross-hatching that m...