Reverse Copy of Dancing Couple, from "The Small Wedding Dancers"

Art Historical Context

This charming engraving, titled *Reverse Copy of Dancing Couple, fromThe Small Wedding Dancers*, dates to 1552 and is attributed to Heinrich Aldegver or an anonymous German of the 16th century. Measuring just 4 5/8 × 3 1/4 inches, its petite scale invites close inspection, capturing a joyful pair mid-dance with lively energy. Aldegrever, a prominent member of the "Little MastersGerman engravers famed for intricate small-format works—excelled in depicting everyday scenes, blending Renaissance precision with Northern European flair. Created via engraving, a technique where metal plates are inci...

About the Artist

Heinrich Aldegrever|Anonymous, German, 16th century · 1502–1561

Heinrich Aldegrever, born in 1502 in Paderborn, Westphalia, to parents Herman and Katherine Trippenmeker—a family of clog-makers known by the dialect name Trippenmecker—emerged as a multifaceted artist in the German Renaissance. His early training remains undocumented, though he likely apprenticed in a Soest goldsmith's workshop after relocating there around 1525, where he joined the painters' gui...