Design for the Verso of a Pendant with Three Large Flowers

Art Historical Context

This delicate engraving, titled *Design for the Verso of Pendant with Three Large Flowers is attributed to Jan Collaert or Hans Liefrinck dates to before 157. Created in the Northern Renaissance tradition of the Low Countries, it exemplifies the era's fascination with intricate ornamental designs for personal adornments like pendants. The sheet measures a modest 5 3/4 × 4 inches, making it an intimate blueprint for jewelers crafting the reverse side—or verso—of a pendant, where three boldly stylized flowers take center stage. As a second state of three (per New Hollstein), this print reflects the meticulous process of engraving, where metal plates were incised to produce detailed, reproducible patterns. Such works bridged fine art and applied crafts, serving goldsmiths and silversmiths who adapted them into wearable luxury items. Collaert I and Liefrinck, prominent Flemish and Dutch printmakers, contributed to a booming market for these motifs, blending naturalism with geometric elegance. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department (Rogers Fund, 1922), this piece highlights the cultural role of floral symbolism in Renaissance jewelry—evoking beauty, fertility, and status. Visitors can appreciate how such engravings democratized high design, influencing fashion across Europe.