The White King's Skill in Conducting Masquerades, from Der Weisskunig
Medium
Woodcut; proof (Hollstein)
Dimensions
Sheet: 8 3/4 × 7 13/16 in. (22.2 × 19.9 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1943
Accession Number
43.3.3
Tags
Art Historical Context
This woodcut proof, titled *The White King's Skill in Masquerades*, is a captivating page from *Der Weisskunig*The White King), an ambitious illustrated biography by Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I 1514–16. Created collaboratively by artist Hans Burgkmair, woodcutter Jost deker, and contributor Marx Treitz-Sauer von Ehrentreitz, depicts the emperor—symbolized as the "White King"—orchestrating a lively masquerade, surrounded by kings, men, women, and portraits in festive attire. At roughly 8¾ × 7⅞ inches, this intimate sheet captures the opulence of Renaissance court life. As a woodcut proof f...
About the Artist
Hans Burgkmair|Jost de Negker|Marx Treitz-Sauerwein von Ehrentreitz · 1473–1531
Hans Burgkmair the Elder (1473–1531) was a German painter and printmaker who became one of the leading artists of the Renaissance in Augsburg. Born into a family of painters — his father, Thoman Burgkmair, was a respected artist — he likely received his initial training in his father's workshop. He may also have studied with Martin Schongauer in Colmar, and a probable visit to Italy around 1507 ex...