Enigmes Joyeuses pour les Bons Esprits, Plate 7
Seventh plate of a group of 9 plates with small domestic scenes, engraved by Jan van Haelbeeck, which were either were made for, or reused by Jean Leclerc around 1615 in the sonnet series ‘Enigmes Joyeuses pour les Bons Esprits’, in which they were each published with a sonnet that hinted at the double meaning of the activities. In this plate, a working-class man, standing on a piece of wool held by two wooden scaffolds, which he saws with the help of a woman who stands of the floor beneath him, in front of a town, the church of which can be seen in the back. The plate accompanies one of the sonnets of the Enigmes, which describes the nature of the activity, in which the man and woman move the saw up and down to cut the wool, while also hinting to another, slightly more erotic activity. This double meaning of the images and sonnets of the Enigmes helps explain why most copies of the series, although very popular and influential in their day, have been lost.
Artwork Details
- Title: Enigmes Joyeuses pour les Bons Esprits, Plate 7
- Artist: Jan van Haelbeeck (Flemish, active Paris (and Copenhagen?), ca. 1600–1630, died Paris, ca. 1630)
- Artist: Jean Leclerc IV (French, baptized 1560, died Paris, 1622)
- Date: ca. 1615
- Medium: Copper engraving
- Dimensions: Sheet: 4 5/8 × 5 15/16 in. (11.8 × 15.1 cm)
- Classification: Prints
- Credit Line: Mary Oenslager Fund, 2016
- Object Number: 2016.360.7
- Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Jan van Haelbeeck
Jean Leclerc IV
ca. 1615
Jan van Haelbeeck
Jean Leclerc IV
ca. 1615
Jan van Haelbeeck
Jean Leclerc IV
ca. 1615
Jan van Haelbeeck
Jean Leclerc IV
ca. 1615
Jan van Haelbeeck
Jean Leclerc IV
ca. 1615
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.