The Music Making Couple - Monogrammist b. g.

Amanda S. Johnson and Marion J. Livingston Endowment

Ancient Art Drawings European Art Prints

"The Music Making Couple" by Monogrammist b. g. (1470/80) Round engraving on ivory laid paper.

Commentary

"The Music Making Couple" by Monogrammist b. g. (1470/80) invites a close look at how form and feeling work together. The print-based method rewards close viewing, where line, texture, and contrast do most of th e expressive work. Themes to notice include engraving. This piece is held in the source collection's Prints and Drawings collection. Monogrammist b. g. is the artist behind this work. A useful anchor for reading the piece: Monogrammist b. The work is cataloged within a Germany cultural context. How to look at this work: It is cataloged as engraving, which gives a clue to how the museum frames the object. Its medium (Round engraving on ivory laid paper) affects texture, durability, and how detail reads at different distances. Its listed dimensions (Plate: H.: 8.9 cm (3 9/16 in.); Sheet: 9.5 × 9.2 cm (3 3/4 × 3 5/8 in.)) suggest how intimate or monumental it may feel in person. Subject cues from the catalog include engraving. Compare this reading with the museum record at the source collection: https://www.artic.edu/artworks/155251

Sources: Art Institute of Chicago; Art Institute of Chicago / Public Records; Art Institute of Chicago Collection Data