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| Sebald Beham The Penance of St John Chrysostom 1540s engraving British Museum |
"The depiction of the Penance of St. John Chrysostom is based on a late medieval legend according to which the hermit saint had seduced a girl. Following the birth of a child, he killed both mother and offspring. The saint was subsequently filled with such remorse that he could not look up to the sky and hence crawled on all fours until the newborn son of a queen pardoned him. Mother and child were then restored to life."
– from curator's notes at the British Museum
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| Sebald Beham The Justice of Trajan 1537 engraving British Museum |
Another popular legend exploited by Sebald Beham as a subject was the Justice of Trajan. According to this story, the busy Emperor Trajan, preparing a war campaign, was interrupted by a mother whose son had been murdered. Trajan asked her to wait until his return from the war. She answered that he might not return at all. This argument persuaded the Emperor to stop what he was doing and "dispense justice" to this bold, grief-stricken woman.
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| Sebald Beham Emperor Trajan 1546 engraving British Museum |
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| Sebald Beham Domitia Calvilla 1546 engraving British Museum |
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| Sebald Beham Female profiles 1542 engraving British Museum |
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| Sebald Beham Male Profiles 1542 engraving British Museum |
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| Sebald Beham Four Male Heads 1546 engraving British Museum |
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| Sebald Beham Two Horse Heads 1520s engraving British Museum |
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| Sebald Beham Horses 1520s engraving British Museum |
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| Sebald Beham Alexander the Great ca. 1531-50 engraving British Museum |
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| Sebald Beham Shepherd 1525 engraving British Museum |
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| Sebald Beham Triton and Nereid 1523 engraving British Museum |
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| Sebald Beham Satyr playing the Lyre ca. 1531-50 engraving British Museum |
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| Sebald Beham Satyress playing Bagpipes ca. 1531-50 engraving British Museum |
She sings, we are mute: when is my spring coming?
When shall I be as the swallow, that I may cease to be voiceless?
– from the late Latin Hymn to Venus, Pervigilium Veneris
I am grateful to the British Museum for the excellent reproductions.