Design for a Heart-Shaped Brooch
1580–1600
Medium
Engraving and blackwork
Dimensions
Sheet: 2 5/8 × 3 3/16 in. (6.6 × 8.1 cm)
Classification
Prints|Ornament & Architecture
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1951
Accession Number
51.501.5786(3)
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate engraving by Johann Theodor de Bry offers a window into late Renaissance jewelry design. Created between 1580 and 1600, the small print—measuring just over three inches wide—presents an intricate design for a heart-shaped brooch. Rendered in engraving and blackwork, the technique allowed de Bry to achieve fine lines and rich contrasts, making it ideal for capturing the ornate details jewelers would translate into gold, enamel, and gemstones. The composition features intertwined male and female nudes, a motif that reflects the period’s fascination with classical mythology and the human form. Such ornament prints served as pattern books, circulating innovative ideas among artisans across Europe. De Bry, part of a distinguished family of printmakers, helped elevate these functional designs into works of art in their own right. Today, this sheet in the Metropolitan Museum’s collection reminds us how prints bridged the worlds of fine art and decorative craft, preserving ephemeral jewelry designs for centuries.
About the Artist
Johann Theodor de Bry · 1561–1923
Comment on works: copper engraver