Man is born naked, plate #1 from "The Misery of Human Life", Philips Galle; Artist: after Maarten van Heemskerck | Mia

three female figures in outdoor setting with many animals and birds in background; nude woman at left with five breasts, handing a nude infant to woman at center who wears a garment with her PR breast exposed; woman at right holds a swaddled infant; text at bottom — Man is born naked, plate #1 from "The Misery of Human Life", 1563
Philips Galle; Artist: after Maarten van Heemskerck
Etching with censoring in selective watercolor [?]
Gift of James A. Bergquist, Boston, in honor of Rachel McGarry 2021.69.19.1
Not on View
A five-breasted naked woman labeled "Natura" hands a naked baby to a woman in a long dress with her right breast exposed. Paint has been applied these two figures to cover exposed parts of their bodies. To the right is another woman who carries a swaddled baby. In the background are many animals on land, sea, and air. Especially prominent are to boars, a salamander, a hedgehog, a turtle, a bear, and a chicken.

This is the first print in a series of six that studies the misery of human life. The images were designed by Maarten van Heemskerck and engraved by Philips Galle. Each is accompanied by Latin verses by the learned Dutch polymath Hadrianus Junius (1511-1575), with further verses in French and Dutch below.

Some of the verses below may be roughly translated as follows:
Birds, fish, trees, and all animals,
Are all provided and clothed by Nature.
Man alone is left completely naked,
and suffers a thousand travails.

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Details

Title: Man is born naked, plate #1 from "The Misery of Human Life"
Dated: 1563
Artist: Philips Galle; Artist: after Maarten van Heemskerck
Nationality: Flemish
Artist Life: 1537 - 1612
Role: Artist
Gallery: Not on View
Department: European Art
Dimension: 7 5/16 × 9 1/2 in. (18.57 × 24.13 cm) (plate)10 × 10 1/2 in. (25.4 × 26.67 cm) (sheet)
Credit: Gift of James A. Bergquist, Boston, in honor of Rachel McGarry
Accession Number: 2021.69.19.1
Medium: Etching with censoring in selective watercolor [?]
Country: Flanders
Century: 16th century
Rights: Public Domain
Classification: Prints
Object Name: Print
Catalogue Raisonne: The Illustrated Bartsch, vol. LVI .072:1 New Hollstein, Philips Galle, Part II.287 I/I
Wikipedia: Cite this information
Portfolio: From The Misery of Human Life
Metadata: Click here to see the machine readable JSON data that underpins this page.
Curator Approved: This record is from historic documentation and may not have been reviewed by a curator, so may be inaccurate or incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.

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