Speelkaart met zes papegaaien - Meester PW van Keulen

A late fifteenth-century engraving by Meester PW van Keulen featuring six parrots arranged in a circular playing card design.

This engraving by the artist known as Meester PW van Keulen depicts a circular playing card featuring six parrots. The work belongs to a period when card games were gaining popularity across Europe, often serving as a medium for artistic expression through small-scale printmaking. The circular format is characteristic of specific card sets produced in the late fifteenth century, which often utilised animal motifs to denote suits or numerical values.

The composition is arranged within a circular border, with five parrots positioned around the perimeter and a sixth, smaller bird situated at the centre. The artist employs fine, controlled lines to define the plumage and postures of the birds, demonstrating a high level of technical proficiency in the medium of engraving. The inclusion of the numeral '6' at the top and the Roman numeral 'VI' at the bottom confirms the card's function within a deck. The birds are rendered with a degree of naturalism, though their arrangement is dictated by the constraints of the circular frame and the requirements of the game.

Meester PW van Keulen is an identified master of the late fifteenth-century German school, known for his contributions to the development of early print culture. His work reflects the transition from medieval manuscript illumination to the reproducible nature of the printed image. The clarity of the lines and the balanced distribution of the figures demonstrate a clear understanding of spatial organisation on a miniature scale. This print offers a glimpse into the material culture of the late Middle Ages, where everyday objects were frequently elevated through the application of skilled graphic design. The monochromatic nature of the engraving focuses the viewer's attention on the form and the precise execution of the artist's burin.