Pyramus and Thisbe

Art Historical Context

Heinrich Aldegre's *Pyramus and This* (ca. 1529) is a delicate engraving capturing the tragic climax of the ancient lovers' tale from Ovid's *Metoses*. Pyramus, mistaking Thisbe's bloodied veil for her death, falls on his sword in despair, while Thisbe arrives too late, echoing timeless themes of forbidden love and fatal misunderstanding—much like a Renaissance precursor to Romeo and Juliet. Rendered on a tiny sheet just 2 3/16 inches (5.5 cm), this print exemplifies the "Little Masters," a group of Northern engravers famed for their virtuoso miniatures packed with intricate detail. As a Germ...

About the Artist

Heinrich Aldegrever · 1502–1561

Heinrich Aldegrever, born in 1502 in Paderborn, Westphalia, to parents Herman and Katherine Trippenmeker—a family of clog-makers known by the dialect name Trippenmecker—emerged as a multifaceted artist in the German Renaissance. His early training remains undocumented, though he likely apprenticed in a Soest goldsmith's workshop after relocating there around 1525, where he joined the painters' gui...