Circular Ornament with Musicians Playing near a Well

c. 1495/1503

Israhel van Meckenem

Associated Names
Israhel van Meckenem

Artist, German, c. 1445 - 1503

This is a drawing of an intricate circular design with two seated figures and ornate floral motifs. There are two figures seated among elaborate architectural structures that resemble old temples or towers with pointed roofs. These figures are surrounded by a complex arrangement of vines and floral patterns that encompass the entire circle. The design is detailed with swirling lines that give a sense of motion and intricacy to the composition. The use of shading and line work adds depth and texture to both the figures and the surrounding motifs, creating a seamless integration between the central figures and the border decorations. The artwork shows exceptional craftsmanship in the detailed portrayal of each element within the circular frame.

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    engraving

  • Credit Line

    Rosenwald Collection

  • Accession Number

    1943.3.163

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    Lehrs, Vol. 9, p.401, no. 511, State ii/ii

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

(von Passavant-Gontard sale, C.G. Boerner, Leipzig, 13 May 1929, no. 711); (Charles Sessler, Philadelphia); purchased by Lessing J. Rosenwald [1891-1979], 1929; gift to NGA, 1943.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

1946

  • Music in Prints from the Rosenwald Collection, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., 1946, no catalogue.

1953

  • Nuremberg and the German World, 1460-1530: Prints and books from the Kress and Rosenwald Collections, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., 1953, no catalogue.

1955

  • installation to accompany two concerts titled "Love Songs of the Renaissance," Fogg Art Museum, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 1955, no cat.

1967

  • Fifteenth Century Engravings of Northern Europe from the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., NGA, 1967-1968, no. 246, repro.

1990

  • Gardens on Paper: Prints and Drawings, 1200-1900, NGA, 1990, no. 24, repro.

1997

  • Love and War: A Manual for Life in the Late Middle Ages, National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1998-1999.

Bibliography

1908

  • Lehrs, Max. Geschichte und kritischer Katalog des deutschen, niederlandischen und franzosischen Kupferstichs im XV. Jahrhundert. 9 vols. and 1 plate vol. Vienna: Gesellschaft fur vervielfaltigende Kunst, 1908-1934.

1949

  • Hollstein, F.W.H. et al. German engravings, etchings and woodcuts ca. 1400-1700. 8 vols. Amsterdam: Menno Hertzberger, 1954-1868. Dutch and Flemish etchings, engravings and woodcuts, ca. 1450-1700. Vols. I-XV, XVIII, XIX. Amsterdam: Menno Hertzberge

1967

  • Shestack, Alan. Fifteenth Century Engravings of Northern Europe from the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.. Exh. cat. Washington: National Gallery of Art, 1967: no. 246.

1990

  • Clayton, Virginia Tuttle. Gardens on Paper: Prints and Drawings, 1200-1900. Exh. cat. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1990: no. 24.

Watermarks

Gothic P with flower (Lehrs 24)

Wikidata ID

Q64958446

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