Feminae: Medieval Women and Gender Index

Title: Portrait of Israhel von Meckenem and his wife Ida
Creator: Israhel von Meckenem, engraver
Description: This image of Israhel von Meckenem, the most prolific German engraver of the fifteenth century, and his wife Ida is the first portrait of identifiable sitters executed in print. Husband and wife gaze toward each other, both exhibiting a relaxed facial expression. They are depicted before an ornamental cloth that brings them into stronger contrast with the background of the image. The fur collar of Ida's dress indicates her elevated status as well as that of her husband. The inscription below notes that the work is a "portrait of Israhel and his wife Ida," followed by the artist's initials: IVM.
Source: Wikimedia Commons
Rights: Public Domain
Subject (See Also): Husbands Portraits Wives
Geographic Area: Low Countries
Century: 15
Date: ca. 1490
Related Work:
Current Location: London, British Museum, PD E.1 - 94 (Lehrs I)
Original Location:
Artistic Type (Category): Digital images; Prints
Artistic Type (Material/Technique): Copperplate engravings
Donor:
Height/Width/Length(cm): 12.4 cm/17.3 cm/
Inscription: figurario facierem Israhelis et Ide eius uxoris. IVM [Figuration of the faces of Israhel and his wife Ida. IVM.]
Related Resources: