Patience
Medium
Engraving; reverse copy
Dimensions
sheet: 4 1/4 x 2 13/16 in. (10.8 x 7.1 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Edwin De T. Bechtel, 1949
Accession Number
49.132.77
Art Historical Context
"Patience," an engraving from 1540, is a delicate reverse copy attributed to the of Sebald Beham, a figure among the German "Little Masters" of the Northern Renaissance. Beham, active in Nuremberg during the Protestant Reformation, was renowned for his intricate small-scale prints that captured allegorical virtues, everyday life, and classical motifs with remarkable precision. This work, measuring just 4¼ x 2⅞ inches, exemplifies the era's fascination with personified virtues—here, Patience—often depicted as a steadfast female figure enduring trials, reflecting Renaissance humanist ideals of m...
About the Artist
Sebald Beham|Anonymous · 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...