Christ Blessing The Virgin, c. 1480
Martin Schongauerexpand_more
Engravingexpand_more
Gift of Miss Tessie Jones in memory of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Herschel V. Jones, 1966expand_more P.13,756
Not on Viewexpand_more
The Virgin Mary and Jesus sit enthroned as co-rulers of heaven, though the orb in his hand indicates that he is the ultimate power. Mary joins her hands in prayer as he raises his right hand to bless her. The image is typical of Marian devotion, which saw Mary as a powerful intercessor for those seeking God’s mercy, in times of plague, famine, and other afflictions. Mary was reaching peak popularity in Germany about the time when Schongauer made this exquisite engraving. A generation later, Martin Luther and other German reformers would push back hard against such devotion.
Details
- Title
- Christ Blessing The Virgin
- Artist Life
- c. 1440/53–1491
- Role
- Artist
- Accession Number
- P.13,756
- Catalogue Raisonne
- L.V.114.18; Bartsch 71
- Curator Approved
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