Design for Knife Handles with an Armed Woman and Susanna and the Elders, from Mansches de Coutiaus
1580–1600
Medium
Engraving and blackwork
Dimensions
Sheet: 5 3/16 × 4 1/16 in. (13.1 × 10.3 cm)
Classification
Prints|Ornament & Architecture
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1931
Accession Number
31.32.7
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate engraving by Johann Theodor de Bry, prominent member of the de Bry family engravers active in Frankfurt during the late 16th century, dates to around 1580–1600. Titled *Design for Knife Handles with Armed Woman and Susanna and Elders*, it hails from the series *Mansches deiaus* (French for "Knife Handles"), showcasing intricate ornamental designs meant for practical luxury objects. Measuring just 5 3/16 × 4 1/16 inches, its small scale highlights the precision required for such functional art. The composition blends dynamic figures—an armed woman alongside the biblical scene of ...
About the Artist
Johann Theodor de Bry · 1561–1923
Comment on works: copper engraver