Foot Soldier Standing by a Tree
1520
Medium
etching
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Dr. Paul J. Sachs
Accession Number
1941.2.4
Art Historical Context
Sebald Beham's *Foot Soldier Standing by a* (1520) is a captivating etching from the German Renaissance, showcasing the artist's mastery of small-scale printmaking. Beham, one of the "Little Masters" of Nuremberg alongside his brother Barthel and Albrecht Altdorfer, specialized in intricate engravings and early etchings that captured everyday life, soldiers, and biblical scenes with remarkable detail. This work, housed in the National Gallery of as a gift from Dr. J. Sachs, exemplifies ability to infuse genre subjects with lifelike presence in a compact format. Created during a turbulent era ...
About the Artist
Sebald Beham · 1500–1550
Sebald Beham (1500–1550), a pioneering German printmaker and painter born in Nuremberg, emerged as one of the most prolific artists of the Northern Renaissance. The elder brother of fellow artist Barthel Beham, he grew up in a milieu steeped in artistic tradition, though details of his early training remain sparsely documented. Recorded as a journeyman painter (Malergeselle) by 1521 and a master w...