The Virgin and Child Reclining Against a Tree, Jacopo de' Barbari | Mia

engraving in black on off-white paper; image of a drowsy-looking mother in flowing robes, breastfeeding a nude infant while reclining against the trunk of a large tree; in mylar sleeve, loose in window mat — The Virgin and Child Reclining Against a Tree, c. 1503-6
Jacopo de' Barbari
Engraving
The Carl and Holly Jones Endowment for Prints and Drawings 2023.68
Not on View
The Venetian printmaker and painter Jacopo de' Barbari was one of the first Italian artists of considerable reputation to move north of the Alps in the Renaissance. He worked at the courts of Emperor Maximilian, Frederick the Wise, Philip of Burgundy, and Margaret of Austria. Despite his success, he was soon forgotten after his death and known for most of history as the “Master of the Caduceus”—named for the symbol with which he signed his works.

Jacopo probably took up engraving after moving to Germany in 1500 and coming into contact with Albrecht Dürer in Nuremberg. This mature print depicts a sleepy young Virgin Mary, seated on the ground at the foot of a large, knotty tree and nursing a naked, alert Christ Child. The Nursing Virgin (Virgo Lactans) image type was ancient and became popular again in the Renaissance, particularly in humanist circles. It would disappear after the Council of Trent (1563), when nudity in sacred art was decreed indecorous, which included depictions of the Madonna's exposed breast.

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Details

Title: The Virgin and Child Reclining Against a Tree
Dated: c. 1503-6
Artist: Jacopo de' Barbari
Nationality: Italian
Artist Life: (Venice), c. 1460/70–before 1516
Role: Artist
Gallery: Not on View
Department: European Art
Dimension: 7 × 9 3/8 in. (17.8 × 23.8 cm) (image, sheet)11 7/8 × 15 7/8 in. (30.2 × 40.3 cm) (mat)
Credit: The Carl and Holly Jones Endowment for Prints and Drawings
Accession Number: 2023.68
Medium: Engraving
Country: Italy
Century: 16th century
Rights: Public Domain
Classification: Prints
Object Name: Print
Catalogue Raisonne: Bartsch 6; Hind 2
Wikipedia: Cite this information
Metadata: Click here to see the machine readable JSON data that underpins this page.
Curator Approved: This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.

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