Madonna and Child between Saints Afra and Ulrich, c. 1493
Hand-colored woodcutexpand_more
Bequest of Herschel V. Jonesexpand_more P.68.88
Not on Viewexpand_more
Augsburg artist Hans Burgkmair trained in the workshop of Martin Schongauer. He made this woodcut as an advertisement for Frederic II, count of Hohenzollern, bishop of Augsburg, whose black-and-white coat-of-arms is paired with the red-and-white Augsburg arms. It links Frederic with the city’s most venerated figures. The Virgin Mary and baby Jesus are flanked by Ulrich and Afra, patron saints of Augsburg and its Benedictine monastery. Ropes bind Afra’s hands to a post, and she stands in fire because Roman Emperor Diocletian legendarily burnt her at the stake, about 305 CE. Ulrich was a highly successful bishop in Augsburg in the 900s. He is credited with transforming meat into fish so a friend would have something to eat on a Friday; hence, he holds a fish.
Details
- Title
- Madonna and Child between Saints Afra and Ulrich
- Artist Life
- 1473–1531
- Role
- Artist
- Accession Number
- P.68.88
- Provenance
- Colnaghi, Knoedler & Co., 1925
- Catalogue Raisonne
- Sch.IV 2024; Hall I ii/ii
- 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.
Does something look wrong with this image? Let us know
Zoom in on the left to the detail you'd like to save. Click 'Save detail' and wait until the image updates. Right click the image to 'save image as' or copy link, or click the image to open in a new tab.