Else of Meersburg, c.1450

Research Background Else of Meersburg c.1450 sits within the field of Human-Animal Studies through drawing on the history of concrete relationships between humans and non-humans, as well as cross-cultural and social constructions of the wolf. This interdisciplinary research field draws on sociology, psychology, philosophy, education, history and cultural studies in order to unpack the complex relationships between humans and animals. The portrait was exhibited as part of the “Of Humans and Wolves” exhibition at Hamburg’s ethnographic museum, MARKK, following acquisition for the permanent collection. Else of Meersburg c.1450 engages specifically with Early Modern era associations of women with wolves within Europe, and the social conditions that led to the demonisation of both the gender and the animal in the lead up to the witch hunting craze. Research Contribution Else of Meersburg … contributes novel modes of imagining the female werewolf through revisiting archaic lycanthropic motifs and histories for a contemporary audience. The work highlights the misogynist landscape of early modern Europe that helped to fuel the witch-hunting craze, by incorporating motifs specific to the era such as the displaced wolf tail, lupine mount and torture equipment. The work uncovers ingrained prejudices against transgressive femininity, while conversely highlighting fluctuations in social attitudes towards the non-human world, specifically wolves. Research Significance Established in 1840, MARKK has a longstanding history of excellence as an ethnographic cultural institution in Hamburg, Germany. Inclusion in the Of Humans and Wolves exhibition is evidence of the unique contribution that Else of Meersburg c.1450 offers to the study of human non-human relations, at an international level. Acquisition by the museum offers evidence of the quality and cultural value of the work.