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Israhel van Meckenem, the younger

The Organ Player and His Wife

1495/1503
Engraving on buff laid paper
16.5 × 10.9 cm (6.5 × 4.3 in)

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In the collection of Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago · as of July 2026

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FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO’S CATALOG

Here a couple making music in a comfortable interior is an image of harmony. The wife assists the husband by working the bellows of the portative organ, and her open mouth suggests that he is accompanying her song. This is one of a series of six engravings by Meckenem showing couples engaging in music making, card playing, and other pastimes in domestic settings. The engraver elaborated on the household details with particular care, delineating a curtained bed, a built-in cupboard open to show a basin and covered cup, and an extendable table holding the organ. Above the wife’s head is a convex mirror, which was still a luxury item in 1500.

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