Ornamental Panel With Two Lovers 1480 - 1490

Editor: So, here we have Israhel van Meckenem's "Ornamental Panel With Two Lovers," dating back to the late 15th century. It’s an engraving printed on paper. What strikes me is the sheer density of the foliage, like a secret garden hiding a love story. How do you even begin to unpack a piece like this? Curator: Well, darling, I think you've already touched on something crucial: it *is* a secret garden! These ornamental panels were like visual poems. Meckenem, ever the meticulous craftsman, weaves together the earthly and the ethereal. What about that banner overhead the lovers, practically daring us to read the inscription? Editor: Ah, yes, the banner with 'liebhab'." It feels almost intrusive, a word hanging right over their intimacy. Curator: Intrusive or celebratory? 'Liebhab' translates to "lover," but it's positioned as almost an endorsement, a blessing on the courtship. And, notice how the natural world isn’t just decoration; it’s teeming with life – are those little putti cavorting among the leaves? Meckenem invites us to contemplate love's place within the grand theater of existence. It’s romantic, yes, but also a little bit cheeky, don't you think? Editor: Cheeky is spot on. There's this wink within all the detail, a kind of playful irony against the backdrop of proper courtship. I wouldn't have gotten that without you pointing it out, the lover banner seeming an ironic imposition of the time. Curator: Isn't it glorious when art unfolds like that? One starts with the visual facts, gets entangled by initial reactions, and slowly starts noticing all those details, those small treasures…like the bird eyeing a tasty looking worm. What do you make of those various symbols embedded in foliage: fox, swans? Editor: I did notice the variety of creatures, some real some fantastical, each playing a supporting role in their love story, or distracting the viewer from its presence. They seem to be guardians of their secret space. It definitely changes my view on the work. Curator: Wonderful! That, my dear, is the best kind of magic, really – our view expanding!