The Churchgoers
Medium
Engraving
Dimensions
Sheet: 6 5/8 × 4 1/2 in. (16.8 × 11.4 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Harry G. Friedman, 1962
Accession Number
62.635.821
Tags
Art Historical Context
Israhel van Meckenem, a pioneering 15th-century German engraver active around 1465–1503, created *The Churchgoers*, a delicate engraving that captures everyday life with a keen eye for detail. This intimate print, measuring just 6⅝ × 4½ inches, exemplifies the late Gothic style prevalent in Northern Europe, where intricate line work on metal plates allowed for precise reproductions of scenes from daily life and piety. As one of the first artists to extensively sign his works, Meckenem played a crucial role in elevating engraving from craft to fine art, making images accessible beyond elite pat...
About the Artist
Israhel van Meckenem|Anonymous · 1435–1503
Israhel van Meckenem (c. 1445–1503), also known as Israhel van Meckenem the Younger, was a pioneering German engraver and goldsmith based in Bocholt, near the Dutch border, renowned as the most prolific printmaker of the fifteenth century. Born into a family possibly of Dutch origin, he was the son of Israhel van Meckenem the Elder, a goldsmith who settled in Bocholt in 1457. He trained initially ...