Blackwork Design for Goldsmithwork with a Bee-Keeper, a Farmer and a Boar 1612

This blackwork design by Mathais Beitler, created in 1612, features three scenes depicting rural life. The top scene shows a beekeeper tending to beehives in a tree, the middle scene depicts a farmer plowing a field with a horse, and the bottom scene shows a boar with two dogs. The detailed lines and intricate details of the design would have been used for goldsmith work, likely for decorative elements on jewelry, silverware, or other precious objects. This design, now part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art collection, provides a glimpse into the life and work of a 17th-century artist.