4927 x 3780 px | 41,7 x 32 cm | 16,4 x 12,6 inches | 300dpi
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Israhel van Meckenem (also known as Israhel van Meckenem the Younger, c. 1445 – 1503) was a German printmaker and goldsmith. He was the most prolific engraver of the fifteenth century and an important figure in the early history of old master prints. He was active from 1465 until his death. His birth date is merely an estimate. Recent guesses range from the early 1430s to 1450. His father arrived in Bocholt, Germany, near the border with the Netherlands, in 1457, so his place of birth is unknown. He was the son of Israhel van Meckenem the Elder, also a goldsmith, who settled in Bocholt. Attempts have been made to identify the father as the Master of the Berlin Passion, an early engraver, but this remains uncertain. Some writers also assign to the father works traditionally given to the son. The very unusual name "Israhel" suggests the family may have had Jewish origins, but Israhel the Younger was buried in a church, and it might not have been possible for Jews to work as goldsmiths. The "van" suggests a Dutch origin for the family; various places in Germany and the Netherlands have been suggested as "Meckenem", as no place generally called exactly that existed at the time. The Master of the Berlin Passion probably worked mainly in the Netherlands, so his identification with Israhel Senior would have implications for the issue of the family origin. Israhel van Meckenem probably trained initially as a goldsmith and engraver with his father, before travelling to work with Master E. S., the leading Northern European engraver of the day. His earliest dated print comes from 1465, and indicates that he created it in Cleves, where the family had moved. In 1470 he is documented as working in Bamberg; he returned to Bocholt by about 1480, where he remained for the rest of his life. He continued to work at goldsmithing. Some surviving pieces are widely accepted as his and many commissions from the Bocholt council are documented between 1480 and 1498.
