Farmers, from Das Bossenbüchlein

Art Historical Context

This delicate engraving, titled *Farmers, from Das Bossenbüchlein*, was created around 1582 by Mathais Beitler and Stephan Herman. Measuring just over two by three inches, the small print captures men and women engaged in rural life, reflecting the everyday subjects popular in late sixteenth-century European book illustration. As part of a larger volume, it likely served both decorative and instructional purposes, offering viewers glimpses of agricultural work and social roles during a period when printed images were becoming more widely accessible. Engraving was a significant medium at the time, allowing artists to produce detailed, reproducible images that could be bound into affordable books. Classified among ornament and architecture prints, this work blends practical representation with decorative appeal, showcasing the period’s interest in documenting ordinary people alongside more formal subjects. The piece belongs to the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection of drawings and prints, acquired through the Elisha Whittelsey Fund in 1955. Such engravings provide valuable insight into how Renaissance-era artists portrayed rural communities, emphasizing both the labor and communal aspects of farming life. Visitors can appreciate the fine line work that brings these figures to life within a compact format designed for personal study or collection.