Latin Cross with Birds and Smaller Motifs

Art Historical Context

Created around 1614–19 by Jacques Hurtu and engraver Pierre Firens I, this delicate print exemplifies the ornamental designs popular in early seventeenth Europe. Measuring just under four inches tall the sheet combines blackwork—a technique prized for its rich, velvety dark tones—with fine engraving to render a Latin surrounded by perched birds, fruit clusters, and smaller decorative motifs. Such prints often served as models for goldsmiths, embroiderers, or book illustrators, blending religious symbolism with the era’s fascination for natural detail. The composition places the cross at the center of a lively, almost playful arrangement of birds and fruit, suggesting themes of resurrection and divine abundance. Firens, a Flemish engraver active in Paris, brought precision to Hurtu’s design, creating an image that feels both devotional and decorative. Acquired by the Metropolitan Museum through the Rogers Fund in 1922, the work highlights how small-scale prints circulated widely, carrying artistic ideas across workshops and borders during a period when ornament and architecture were closely intertwined.