Design for the Verso of a Pendant with an Oval Motif Between Strapwork

Art Historical Context

This delicate engraving, titled *Design for the Verso of a with an Oval Motif Strapwork*, dates to before 1573 and is to either Jan Collaert I or Hans Liefrinck, two prominent Northern European printmakers of the Renaissance era. Collaert, a Flemish artist from Antwerp, and Liefrinck, a Dutchaver, specialized in intricate ornamental designs that bridged art and craft. Produced as the first state of two (per the New Hollstein catalogue), this sheet measures just 5 9/16 × 3 7/8 inches, perfectly scaled for a jewelry pendant's reverse side. The work showcases engraving combined with blackwork—a technique using dense cross-hatching for rich tonal depth—highlighting an oval motif framed by elaborate strapwork, those scrolling, leather-like bands emblematic of 16th-century Mannerist ornament. Such prints were invaluable to goldsmiths and jewelers, serving as precise models for luxurious wearable art amid Europe's booming decorative arts scene. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department (Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1932), this piece offers a window into Renaissance design innovation, where prints democratized high-style motifs for elite adornment. Imagine it inspiring a shimmering pendant against a noble's velvet doublet—timeless elegance in miniature form.