Two Angels with a Peapod 1533

This tiny engraving of Two Angels with a Peapod was made sometime in the 1520s by Master HL, a German artist active in Nuremberg. It depicts two putti, winged cherubs, struggling to open a large peapod. A wreath made of peapods surrounds them. Master HL was part of a generation of artists who created prints for a burgeoning market, often borrowing imagery from classical antiquity and adapting it to contemporary tastes. Here, the putti recall ancient Roman art, but their playful interaction with the oversized peapod reflects a Northern European interest in the natural world. The print also demonstrates the growing influence of humanism, which emphasized the importance of education and civic virtue. The tiny tablet at the top of the image bears the date 1519 as well as the artist’s initials, suggesting that the act of marking and recording time was becoming increasingly important at the time. To fully understand this print, we might consult emblem books, horticultural manuals, and even children’s literature from the period. In doing so, we can understand the image not only as a work of art but also as a product of its specific cultural moment.