Pyramus and Thisbe
ca. 1509–10
Medium
Woodcut
Dimensions
Sheet: 9 1/8 × 6 3/16 in. (23.2 × 15.7 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1924
Accession Number
24.28.9
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the early 16th century, artist Hans Schäufelein the timeless tragedy of *Pyramus and This* in this delicate woodcut, dated around 1509–10. Drawing from Ovid's *Metamorphoses*, the depicts the star-crossed lovers from Babylonian mythology—separated by a city wall, communicating through a chink, and ultimately meeting a fateful end beneath a mulberry tree. Schäufelein, a Nuremberg-based printmaker influenced by Albrecht Dürer, infused the scene with emotional intensity, highlighting themes of forbidden love that resonated in Renaissance Europe. As a woodcut, this print exemplifies Northern R...
About the Artist
Hans Schäufelein · 1480–1540
Hans Schäufelein (c. 1480–c. 1540) was a German painter and graphic artist of the Northern Renaissance whose career placed him at the heart of one of the most dynamic artistic environments in European history. As a young man, he entered the workshop of Albrecht Dürer in Nuremberg, an experience that proved decisive: Dürer's meticulous approach to draughtsmanship, his mastery of printmaking, and hi...