Feminae: Medieval Women and Gender Index
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Title:
Double Portrait of Count Philip von Hanau-Munzenberg and Margaret Weißkirchner, or "Gothaer Liebespaar"
Creator:
Master of the Housebook, Painter or Master of the Gothaer Liebespaar, Painter
Description:
This intimate double portrait of a richly-dressed man and woman, commonly known as the “Gothaer Liebespaar” (Gotha Lovers), likely represents Count Philip von Hanau-Münzenberg (1449-1500) and his concubine, Margaret Weißkirchner (1460-1500). The arms of the Hanau nobility appear on a shield at the top of the painting. Philip began a long-term relationship with Margaret following the death of his wife, Adriana of Nassau-Dillenburg, in 1477. Margaret’s lower social status as a member of the burgher class prevented the couple from marrying. However, Philip and Margaret openly cohabitated, appeared together in public, and had three children. Philip also included Margaret and their children in his will. Philip gazes intently at Margaret while holding her closely around her waist. He wears a billowing white shirt and wine-colored doublet, both featuring gold and pearl ornamentation. A wreath of flowers sits upon his curly hair and he holds the long fringe of a fine woolen cap in his right hand. Margaret herself looks at the wool cap, her attention focused on a fine gold and jeweled ring around the fringe. She wears a lavishly decorated white chemise beneath her blue gown and an elaborate headdress composed of fine sheer fabric, pearls, and gold. She presents Philip with a single flower, identical to the blooms that form his crown. The words on two unfurling banners above the couple’s heads provide some further information about the loving exchange between the count and his mistress. The inscription explains that though their union was unlawful (
unbyllich
), it was mutually loving. Furthermore, Margaret commissioned the gold ring, or
schnürlin
, as a gift for Philip and a token of their love. Though scholars generally accept the identification of the pair as Philip and Margaret, some linguistic patterns in the painting’s inscription and legal evidence from the count’s will may suggest that the woman in the portrait, and possibly the man, may be unknown members of the Hanau nobility (Kratz, 2000).
Source:
Wikimedia Commons
Rights:
Public Domain
Subject
(See Also)
:
Concubines
Courtly Love
Courtship
Love
Lovers
Marriage
Portraits
Geographic Area:
Germany
Century:
15
Date:
1480- 85
Related Work:
Current Location:
Gotha, Schlossmuseum Gotha, SG 703
Original Location:
Germany, Central, Near Hanau
Artistic Type (Category):
Digital Images; Paintings
Artistic Type (Material/Technique):
Wood; Paint (Oil Tempera)
Donor:
Layman and laywoman; Count Philip von Hanau-Munzenberg and Margaret Weißkirchner
Height/Width/Length(cm):
114/80/
Inscription:
Un byllich het Sye esz gedan/Want Ich han esz sye genissen lan/Sye hat uch nyt gantz veracht/Dye uch dsz Schnürlin hat gemacht
Related Resources:
Camille, Michael. The Medieval Art of Love: Objects and Subjects of Desire. Laurence King, 1998; Hess, Daniel. Das Gothaer Liebespaar. Ein ungleiches Paar im Gewand hefischer Minne, Fischer Taschenbuch Verlag 1996; Kratz, Bernd. ""Vnbyllich het sye eß gedan". Die Inschrift des "Gothaer Liebespaar"-Gemäldes" Zeitschrift für Kunstgeschichte 63:1 (2000), 120-32; Nellmann, Eberhard. "Das “Gothaer Liebespaar”: Dokument einer Mesalliance? Hinweis auf eine andere Geliebte? Zu den Spruchbandversen des Gothaer Bildes" Zeitschrift für deutsches Altertum und deutsche Literatur 138:2 (2009), 214-20;