Bookplate of Hieronymous Baumgärtner 1522 - 1540

This is a bookplate by German Renaissance artist Barthel Beham, created between 1522 and 1540. It features a coat of arms for Hieronymous Baumgärtner, a wealthy Nuremberg merchant, within an elaborate frame. The design includes an hourglass, a sundial, and a skull, all reminders of mortality. The bird, possibly a dove, symbolizes peace and purity, while the fleur-de-lis emblem is associated with both French royalty and the Virgin Mary. This artwork is a beautiful example of the meticulous detail and symbolic imagery characteristic of Beham's printmaking, and is a powerful reflection of Renaissance humanist ideals.