The Month of May: An Elegant Man Holding a Flower and Lute
16th century
Medium
Pen and black ink over black chalk
Dimensions
4 1/8 x 3 1/16 in. (10.5 x 7.8 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Helen J. Baker, 1937
Accession Number
37.68.63
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the 16th century, Flemish artist Erasmus Hornick (. 1520–1583), a skilled draftsman and engraver, this delicate drawing, *The Month of May An Elegant Man Holding a and Lute*. Executed in pen and black ink over black on a modest 4 1/8 x 3 1/16 in. sheet, it exemplifies the Northern Renaissance tradition of preparatory sketches for prints. Hornick's precise lines capture the elegance of courtly life, likely part of a series symbolizing the months through emblematic figures—May evoking spring's renewal with flowers, music, and chivalric attire like a sword. The subject's poised gentleman, cra...