Artwork
Margarethe Vöhlin [obverse]
![Margarethe Vöhlin [obverse], by Bernhard Strigel, oil, 1527](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/bernhard-strigel--margarethe-vohlin-obverse--435992056faaebf8-w1024.webp)
Margarethe Vöhlin [obverse] is an oil painting by the Northern Renaissance artist Bernhard Strigel. It dates from 1527 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:across bottom edge of engaged frame: Tausen und funfhundert iar (decorative element) Auch siben undzwaintzge das is war (decorative element) / Zallt man, do hett ich zwaintzg iar wol . Am tag Margrethe ich dagen sol (decorative element) (One thousand and five hundred years, with seven and twenty, that is true as men count, then was I full twenty years old on St. Margaret's day, so I should say.)
About this work
Technique & Style
The surface is built up with oil paint, allowing fine modeling of facial detail and subtle tonal transitions.
The work is an oil painting on a wooden panel, completed in 1527 by Bernhard Strigel. It portrays Margarethe Vöhlin and is categorized as a portrait. The surface is built up with oil paint, allowing fine modeling of facial detail and subtle tonal transitions.
The panel measures 43 cm in height and 30 cm in width, a size typical of early‑16th‑century German portraits. The painting entered the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., through a 1947 gift.
History & Provenance
Created in 1527 by Bernhard Strigel, this oil-on-panel portrait depicts Margarethe Vöhlin. The work likely originated within the holdings of Hans Roth and his wife Margarethe Vöhlin in the Memmingen, Augsburg, and Ulm regions. According to curatorial correspondence, the painting may have remained in the Roth family collection at Schloss Reutti (now New-Ulm) until 1890, when a bankruptcy forced the dispersal of their assets, though the lack of an extant Schloss archive leaves this specific timeline unverified.
Following this period, the portrait entered the Berlin art market, passing through the hands of Manoli Mandelbaum before being handled by dealers Julius Böhler in Munich and Paul Cassirer in Berlin. In March 1922, Ralph Harman Booth and Mary Batterman Booth of Detroit purchased the work. It remained in their collection until 1947, when it was gifted to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.
Overview
Bernhard Strigel's 1527 oil-on-panel painting, Margarethe Vöhlin, presents a portrait of a woman from the Northern Renaissance. This work exemplifies the artist's skill in capturing individual likenesses and intricate details. The painting, likely commissioned, offers insight into the period's fashion and artistic conventions, showcasing Strigel's contribution to the Swabian school of painting.
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts Margarethe Vöhlin, dressed in a dark gown with a distinctive white and gold collar, complemented by a large black hat. A gold chain adorns her neck, and a ring is visible on her finger, while her sleeves feature a subtle brown pattern. She stands before a red wall decorated with a white motif, with a glimpse of a landscape opening on the right, adding depth to the composition.
Context
Bernhard Strigel, born around 1461 in Memmingen, Germany, was a prominent painter of the Swabian school. His career as a portraitist and historical painter flourished, notably through his close association with the court of Emperor Maximilian I. This connection suggests his prominence and the demand for his detailed and individualized portraits among the elite of the Holy Roman Empire.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Bernhard Strigel (c. 1461 – 4 May 1528) was a German portrait and historical painter of the Swabian school, the most important of a family of artists established at Memmingen. He was born at Memmingen and was probably a…
![Margarethe Vöhlin [reverse], by Bernhard Strigel](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/bernhard-strigel--margarethe-vohlin-reverse--01f4c80425fbb8fe-w320.webp)
![Hans Roth [obverse], by Bernhard Strigel](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/bernhard-strigel--hans-roth-obverse--9904e8cf2692db0d-w320.webp)
![Hans Roth [reverse], by Bernhard Strigel](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/bernhard-strigel--hans-roth-reverse--9e98efc46bbdf23c-w320.webp)
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