The Falconer and the Lady
Medium
Engraving in black on cream laid paper
Dimensions
16.6 × 11.6 cm (6 9/16 × 4 5/8 in.)
Classification
engraving
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
3796
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
In the fifteenth century, prints were frequently published with conspicuously empty banderoles, blanks that viewers could complete by adding titles or fill in as early thought or speech bubbles. Israhel van Meckenem employed these winding, decorative banners to draw viewers into his coyly provocative Falconer and Lady and other images from his series of twelve secular couples involved in everyday activities, from church-going to playing music. These courtly lovers wear sumptuous clothing and par...
About the Artist
Israhel van Meckenem, the younger
Israhel van Meckenem the Younger (c. 1440–1503) was a German goldsmith and engraver who became one of the most prolific printmakers of the fifteenth century. Born in Meckenheim near Bonn, he was trained by his father, Israhel van Meckenem the Elder, who was himself a goldsmith and engraver. The younger Israhel may also have worked in the workshop of the Master E.S., whose plates he later reworked ...