Artwork

Man Sitting on an Auricular Mask, Supporting a Strapwork Frame on his Shoulders

Man Sitting on an Auricular Mask, Supporting a Strapwork Frame on his Shoulders is an ink print by the Renaissance artist Johannes van Doetechum the Elder. It dates from 1557 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. Created in 1557, this print by Johannes van Doetecum the Elder combines etching and engraving on laid paper.

About this work

Overview

It portrays a muscular figure seated upon an ear‑shaped, auricular mask, bearing a decorative strapwork frame across his shoulders.

Created in 1557, this print by Johannes van Doetecum the Elder combines etching and engraving on laid paper. It portrays a muscular figure seated upon an ear‑shaped, auricular mask, bearing a decorative strapwork frame across his shoulders. The composition is densely populated with contorted, miniature figures that twist and climb around the central scene, producing a complex, almost fantastical visual arrangement.

Subject & Meaning

The central figure supports an ornate, scroll‑filled frame, suggesting a burden of artistic or architectural ornamentation. The auricular mask beneath him evokes the ear, perhaps alluding to perception or the act of listening. Surrounding the main figure, tiny human forms are caught in impossible poses—climbing, pulling, and entangling—conveying a sense of chaotic movement that may reflect the artist’s interest in visual riddles or allegorical commentary on human endeavor.

Technique & Style

Van Doetecum employs a hybrid of etching’s fluid lines and engraving’s precise incisions, allowing both spontaneous shading and meticulous detail. The use of laid paper adds a subtle texture to the surface. The intricate strapwork and the densely packed, exaggerated figures are characteristic of Northern Mannerist tendencies, emphasizing ornamental complexity and a playful distortion of space.

History & Provenance

Johannes van Doetecum the Elder, born in Deventer and later active in Haarlem, was known for reproducing Pieter Bruegel the Elder’s genre scenes and for cartographic prints of the Netherlands. He frequently collaborated with his brother Lucas on series of prints. This work exemplifies his skill in combining narrative content with decorative design, situating it within the broader output of mid‑16th‑century Dutch printmaking.

Artist & collection

Artist

Johannes van Doetechum the Elder

Joannes van Doetecum the Elder (1530 – 1605) was a Dutch engraver-cartographer known for his etched works after genre scenes by Pieter Bruegel the Elder and maps of various cities in the Netherlands.