Marble
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Madonna on a Crescent Moon in a Rosary

Date

after 1478

Creator

Israhel van Meckenem the Younger

Location

Raclin Murphy Museum of Art

Indulgences—the remission of temporal punishment due to a sin, the guilt of which has been forgiven by the Catholic Church—in the form of donations were common during the late medieval and early renaissance period. A form of popular print, they were normally produced as a woodcut. Meckenem, however, is the first artist to create a bootleg indulgence (this one was not authorized by the Church) as an engraving, a medium used for prints typically reserved for discerning clients. It is also one of the earliest examples of plate tone in an intaglio print. During the wiping process, the artist leaves a thin residue of ink on the plate that prints as an overall soft gray tone.

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Indulgences—the remission of temporal punishment due to a sin, the guilt of which has been forgiven by the Catholic Church—in the form of donations were common during the late medieval and early renaissance period. A form of popular print, they were normally produced as a woodcut. Meckenem, however, is the first artist to create a bootleg indulgence (this one was not authorized by the Church) as an engraving, a medium used for prints typically reserved for discerning clients. It is also one of the earliest examples of plate tone in an intaglio print. During the wiping process, the artist leaves a thin residue of ink on the plate that prints as an overall soft gray tone.
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  • Indulgences—the remission of temporal punishment due to a sin, the guilt of which has been forgiven by the Catholic Church—in the form of donations were common during the late medieval and early renaissance period. A form of popular print, they were normally produced as a woodcut. Meckenem, however, is the first artist to create a bootleg indulgence (this one was not authorized by the Church) as an engraving, a medium used for prints typically reserved for discerning clients. It is also one of the earliest examples of plate tone in an intaglio print. During the wiping process, the artist leaves a thin residue of ink on the plate that prints as an overall soft gray tone.
  • Indulgences—the remission of temporal punishment due to a sin, the guilt of which has been forgiven by the Catholic Church—in the form of donations were common during the late medieval and early renaissance period. A form of popular print, they were normally produced as a woodcut. Meckenem, however, is the first artist to create a bootleg indulgence (this one was not authorized by the Church) as an engraving, a medium used for prints typically reserved for discerning clients. It is also one of the earliest examples of plate tone in an intaglio print. During the wiping process, the artist leaves a thin residue of ink on the plate that prints as an overall soft gray tone.
Israhel van Meckenem the Younger (German, ca. 1440 - 1503)
after 1478
Prints
Engraving with plate tone on laid paper
2012.012
bishops
Blessed Virgin Mary
cardinals
indulgence
intaglio prints
kings
Madonna and Child
popes
Not on view, please request access
10 5/8 x 7 3/8 in. (26.99 x 18.73 cm)
Bequest of Dr. Paul J. Vignos Jr., ND ’41 and Edith Ingalls Vignos Fund

Our collection information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. If you have spotted an error, please contact Raclin Murphy Museum of Art at RMMACollections@nd.edu.