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Hans Sebald Beham

Woman with a Harp

1520/25
Etching in black on ivory laid paper
4 × 3.3 cm (1.6 × 1.3 in)

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In the collection of Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago · as of July 2026

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FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO’S CATALOG

Who is this female harpist, sitting solemnly in a wooded landscape? Is she a muse? A goddess? Just an ordinary woman? The viewer is left to speculate, as there are not enough clues to know for certain. Hans Sebald Beham, one of the so-called German Little Masters, produced prints such as this one that create a sense of intimacy through their small scale and the proximity of their subjects to the picture plane. This etching is even smaller than many of his prints, obliging viewers to come close to observe the details.

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