Woman with a Harp

Who is this female harpist, sitting solemnly in a wooded landscape? Is she a muse? A goddess? Just an ordinary woman? The viewer is left to speculate, as there are not enough clues to know for certain. Hans Sebald Beham, one of the so-called German Little Masters, produced prints such as this one that create a sense of intimacy through their small scale and the proximity of their subjects to the picture plane. This etching is even smaller than many of his prints, obliging viewers to come close to observe the details.