Portrait of a Married Couple (Lorenz Kraffter and Honesta Merz?)

This double portrait of a married couple attired as typical German burghers might represent the Augsburg merchant Lorenz Kraffter and his wife, Honesta Merz, whose birthdates (1460 and 1477, respectively) correspond to the sitter’s ages inscribed on the painting in 1512. As double portraits are relatively rare, it is noteworthy that three versions of this painting exist, all attributed to the Augsburg painter Ulrich Apt the Elder and his workshop. The present work, which is considered to be the initial version, most likely was intended for the couple’s private home, while the copies may have been made for family members.