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The Fight over the Trousers

A work made of engraving printed in black on ivory laid paper.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A work made of engraving printed in black on ivory laid paper.

Date:

c. 1495

Artist:

Israhel van Meckenem the Younger
German, c. 1440/45-1503

About this artwork

Here an enraged woman wielding a distaff as a weapon gains the upper hand over her husband. They are fighting over the trousers on the ground in front of them – that is, for control of the household. This scene is part of Israhel van Meckenem’s series of six prints of couples against a neutral background. It is the only one with a clear narrative and the only one in which the blank scrolls in the upper corners are replaced with imagery: the distaff, used to spin thread and emblematic of feminine pursuits, and a demon who encourages the fight. The pointed satire of domesticity in this print suggests that the other five images of couples may also be somewhat ironic.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Prints and Drawings

Artist

Israhel van Meckenem, the younger

Title

The Fight over the Trousers

Place

Germany (Artist's nationality:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

1490–1503

Medium

Engraving printed in black on ivory laid paper

Dimensions

16.8 × 10.9 cm (6 5/8 × 4 5/16 in.)

Credit Line

Bequest of Mrs. Potter Palmer, Jr.

Reference Number

1956.850

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.

https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/3802/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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