The Eagle of Saint John
1470–1491
Medium
Engraving
Dimensions
Sheet (Trimmed): 3 3/8 × 3 3/8 in. (8.5 × 8.6 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1955
Accession Number
55.516.5
Tags
About this artwork
This The Eagle of Saint John by Martin Schongauer dating to 1470–1491 exemplifies the period. Created in engraving, the work demonstrates technical mastery of materials and processes characteristic of the era. As part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints, this piece contributes to our understanding of historical artistic production. Prints from this period served diverse functions—artistic expression, documentation, commercial distribution, and cultural commentary—reflecting t...
About the Artist
Martin Schongauer · 1435–1491
Martin Schongauer, born around 1450–1453 in Colmar, Alsace, emerged from a family of skilled artisans. The third of four or five sons of goldsmith Caspar Schongauer, who had relocated from Augsburg to Colmar around 1440, Martin was immersed in the goldsmith's trade from youth, likely receiving his initial training in his father's workshop—a common path for early engravers. He further honed his ski...