Artwork
Three Cupids and a Bear
Three Cupids and a Bear is a print by the Northern Renaissance artist Heinrich Aldegrever. It dates from 1529 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Heinrich Aldegrever’s 1529 engraving presents a compact composition of three youthful figures and a bear. Executed in the fine, meticulous manner typical of the German “Little Masters,” the print balances delicate line work with a dense ornamental border, creating a striking yet intimate visual narrative.
Subject & Meaning
” Behind them, a bear stands upright on its hind legs, gazing downward.
The central figures are two plump, nude boys—often identified as cherubic attendants—supporting a shield that bears a crown, a pair of keys, and a prominent letter “G.” Behind them, a bear stands upright on its hind legs, gazing downward. The combination of classical putti, heraldic symbols, and the animal suggests a layered allegory, possibly referencing authority, guardianship, or a specific patron’s emblem.
Technique & Style
Aldegrever employs precise, incised lines to render textures, from the smooth flesh of the boys to the fur of the bear. The engraving’s fine hatching creates depth and a subtle tonal range, while the surrounding foliage of swirling leaves and blossoms frames the scene with a decorative flourish characteristic of early 16th‑century German prints.
History & Provenance
Created in the generation following Albrecht Dürer, the work reflects Aldegrever’s position within the “Little Masters,” a group known for producing small, highly detailed prints for a market of collectors. The print’s early ownership records are sparse, but it circulated among connoisseurs of Northern Renaissance prints during the mid‑16th century.
Context
During the Renaissance, German artists frequently incorporated symbolic motifs—crowns, keys, monograms—into their works to convey patron identities or moral messages. Aldegrever’s inclusion of a bear, a creature often linked to strength and regional heraldry, aligns with contemporary practices of embedding layered iconography within intimate formats.
Artist & collection
Artist
Heinrich Aldegrever or Aldegraf was a German painter and engraver. He was one of the "Little Masters", the group of German artists making small old master prints in the generation after Albrecht Dürer.
Double Cup with Two Genii Riding on Dolphins
The Pea Pod
Reliquary with Pietà
Cupid Balancing on a Globe
Ornament with Flower and Eight Wild Folk
Vase Orné d'Enfans
A Vase between Two Chimeric Figures
Ornament with Mask
Ornament Design with a Mask and an Eagle between Two Fauns Below
Ornamental Panel Inscribed "Victoria Augusta"
Ornamental fillet with the crucifixion and the virgin and child
Three Cupids and a Bear