The Blossoming of Aaron's Rod, from Old and New Testaments

Art Historical Context

Created in 1550 by the German artist Augustin Hirschvogel, *The Blossoming of Aaron's Rod* captures a pivotal Old Testament moment from the Book of Numbers. In this scene, Aaron’s staff miraculously buds with flowers and almonds, affirming divine authority among the Israelites. Hirschvogel, active during the Reformation, specialized in small-scale etchings that brought biblical narratives to a wide audience through affordable prints. Etching, a relatively new medium in the mid-sixteenth century, allowed Hirschvogel to achieve delicate lines and subtle textures ideal for rendering the rod’s blossoms and surrounding figures. Measuring just over four by five inches, the intimate size invites close inspection, reflecting how such prints were often collected in albums or used for private devotion rather than large public display. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Department of Drawings and Prints, this work exemplifies the era’s fusion of artistic innovation and religious storytelling, preserving ancient scripture through the emerging technology of printmaking.

About the Artist

Augustin Hirschvogel · 1503–1553

Augustin Hirschvogel (1503–1553) was born in Nuremberg into a prominent family of stained-glass painters who dominated the city's glass workshops during the late 15th and early 16th centuries. The son of Veit Hirschvogel the Elder (1461–1525), Nuremberg's official glazier who executed designs after Albrecht Dürer and Hans von Kulmbach, Augustin trained as a glass painter in his father's workshop. ...