Israhel van Meckenem the Younger
German, c. 1440/45-1503
The Morris Dancers
INV-2265
Israhel van Meckenem the Younger
German, c. 1440/45-1503n.d.
The Morris Dancers
Israhel van Meckenem the Younger German, c. 1440/45-1503 →engravingprint
Date
n.d.
Medium
Engraving in black on ivory laid paper
Dimensions
Plate/sheet: 17.2 × 17.2 cm (6 13/16 × 6 13/16 in.)
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Location
Chicago, IL
Credit
Clarence Buckingham Collection
The Morris Dance is a folk dance still practiced in England today. Here the roundel shape of Meckenem’s engraving echoes the pattern of the cavorting dancers, as they encircle a young woman holding a ring. The poses are intentionally exaggerated, especially that of the fool at left. The dance, which may have originated in medieval Spain, was a popular court spectacle, as the merry throng of onlookers at the window suggests.
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