Leonhart von Eck
1527
Medium
Engraving; first of two statea
Dimensions
Sheet: 4 5/16 x 3 1/4 in. (10.9 x 8.2 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1981
Accession Number
1981.1087
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the intricate world of Renaissance printmaking with *Leonhart von Eck*, a masterful 1527 engraving by Barthelham, one of the celebrated "Little Masters" of German art. This small-scale portrait (just 4 5/16 x 3 1/4 inches) captures the likeness of its namesake—a prominent figure of the era—rendered with Beham's signature precision and detail. As the first of two states, it represents an early version before any corrections, offering a glimpse into the artist's iterative process in copperplate engraving, a technique that allowed for fine lines and tonal depth through burin work on met...
About the Artist
Barthel Beham · 1502–1540
Barthel Beham (1502–1540), a pivotal figure in the German Renaissance, was born in Nuremberg into a family of artists. The younger brother of the renowned engraver Hans Sebald Beham, he honed his craft under the tutelage of his elder sibling and the master Albrecht Dürer, absorbing the precise techniques of engraving and painting that defined Nuremberg's vibrant artistic scene. Emerging as a prodi...