Grammatica, from "The Seven Liberal Arts"
Medium
Engraving
Dimensions
Sheet: 3 1/2 x 2 3/8 in. (8.9 x 6 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1966
Accession Number
66.529.35
Art Historical Context
Sebald Beham, a leading figure among the German "Little Masters" of the Northern Renaissance, created *Grammatica, fromThe Seven Liberal Arts" a delicate engraving that personifies the foundational discipline of grammar. Part of a series celebrating the classical trivium (grammar, rhetoric, and dialectic) and quadrivium (arithmetic, geometry, music, and astronomy this print reflects the Renaissance revival of ancient learning, emphasizing education as a path to virtue and knowledge. Beham's tiny sheet—measuring just 3 1/2 x 2 3/8 inches—showcases his mastery of intricate line work, capturing f...
About the Artist
Sebald Beham · 1500–1550
Sebald Beham (1500–1550), a pioneering German printmaker and painter born in Nuremberg, emerged as one of the most prolific artists of the Northern Renaissance. The elder brother of fellow artist Barthel Beham, he grew up in a milieu steeped in artistic tradition, though details of his early training remain sparsely documented. Recorded as a journeyman painter (Malergeselle) by 1521 and a master w...