Ghismonda, Guiscardo, and the Prince of Salerno, from The Decameron

Art Historical Context

This delicate woodcut, titled *Ghismonda, Guisc, and the Prince of*, illustrates a dramatic tale from Giovanni Boccaccio's * Decameron* (c. 1353), a celebrated collection of 100 stories framed by the Black Death. Here, from Day IV, Story 1, we see the tragic lovers Ghismonda and Guisc—her lowborn paramour—confronted by her father, the stern Prince of Salerno. The intimate scene captures the emotional tension of forbidden passion, discovery, and impending doom, reflecting Renaissance fascination with human desire and fate. Created before 1534 by German artist Hans Schäufelein, a follower of Albrecht Dürer known for his intricate woodcuts, this print was likely produced for an illustrated edition published by Heinrich Steiner. Woodcuts like this one, printed from carved wooden blocks, were revolutionary for mass-producing affordable images during the Northern Renaissance, making literature visually accessible. At just 2¾ × 2⅞ inches, its tiny scale suited book pages, yet Schäufelein's fine lines convey expressive figures and dynamic composition. Housed in The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department (Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1917), this work highlights the cultural bridge between medieval storytelling and early modern printing, blending Boccaccio's earthy humanism with Germanic precision. A window into 16th-century moral dramas!

About the Artist

Hans Schäufelein|Giovanni Boccaccio|Heinrich Steiner · 1480–1540

Hans Schäufelein (c. 1480–c. 1540) was a German painter and graphic artist of the Northern Renaissance whose career placed him at the heart of one of the most dynamic artistic environments in European history. As a young man, he entered the workshop of Albrecht Dürer in Nuremberg, an experience that proved decisive: Dürer's meticulous approach to draughtsmanship, his mastery of printmaking, and hi...