Oval Blackwork Print with Birds, Insects and Fruits

The Dutch print publisher Claes Jansz. Visscher collected various samples of blackwork prints from all over Europe and published them together as one series. This particular print is a copy in reverse after Hertzog von Brin, an artist who worked at the Viennese court. He is mainly known through his ornament prints which all relate to the goldsmiths trade. The print shows an oval design decorated with small motifs, predominantly recognizable as birds, insects and fruits. The design was most likely meant as a model for the outer decoration of a pendant or watch case.