Mercury, ca. 1539

  • Hans Sebald Beham, German, 1500-1550

Engraving printed in black ink on laid paper

  • Sheet (trimmed within plate mark): 1 3/4 × 1 1/8 inches (4.4 × 2.9 cm)

Founders Society Purchase, William H. Murphy Fund

35.37.6

Signed, in plate, upper left: [artist's monogram]

Stamp, in black, verso: A. Firmin-Didot (Lugt 119) Stamp, in brown, verso: A. Freiherr von Lanna (Lugt 2773) Stamp, in brown, verso: P. J. Sachs (Lugt 2091) Stamp, in black, verso: L (Lugt 1702)

Inscribed, in plate, upper left edge: 6 Inscribed, upper right: MERCVRIVS | [Mercury planetary symbol] Inscribed, in plate, lower left and lower right: [Virgo and Gemini zodiacal symbols]

A. Firmin-Didot (Paris, France)

A. Freiherr von Lanna (Prague)

Paul J. Sachs (Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA). 1935-present, purchase by the Detroit Institute of Arts (Detroit, Michigan, USA)

Hans Sebald Beham, Mercury, ca. 1539, engraving printed in black ink on laid paper. Detroit Institute of Arts, Founders Society Purchase, William H. Murphy Fund, 35.37.6.