Ornament with Two Genii Riding on Two Chimeras

Hans Sebald Beham was one of the Northern Renaissance “Little Masters” who studied with Albrecht Dürer in the 1520s. During this period, there was a growing aesthetic appreciation for miniature objects, which led artists to produce tiny prints that ranged in size from that of a postage stamp to a playing card. These remarkably small and detailed engravings challenged the viewer with a miniature world that often combined new secular subjects and unconventional interpretations of traditional themes. This print, like many of Beham’s ornamental motifs, was created with decorative applications in mind. Artisans would use these designs as models to decorate a variety of objects including clocks, locks, cups, ceramics, stained glass windows, boxes, cabinets and swords.