Coronation of the Virgin
1634
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
About the artist
Artist
Christoffel Jegher
Christoffel Jegher (1596–1652) was a Flemish artist, born in Antwerp.
See the richer artist page1634
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Coronation of the Virgin is a 1634 by Christoffel Jegher, a Baroque work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
This woodcut shows Mary kneeling as Jesus crowns her queen of heaven. Made for a print series, it copies Rubens’ painting but uses rough edges and bold lines. Rubens liked Jegher’s woodcuts as more than copies—they felt fresh and alive. Jegher carved this in 1632–36, turning paint into light and shadow with gouges. Unlike smooth engravings, woodcuts keep the tool’s marks, so each print feels handmade. Next, check out Christoffel Jegher (Flemish, 1596–1652/53).
Peter Paul Rubens was as astute a businessman as he was a brilliant painter. He realized that substantial profit and fame could be derived from the publication of prints made after his paintings. He employed engravers and also Jegher, who made nine woodcuts after the master's work. While the engravings were always considered merely reproductive, the woodcuts were conceived and appreciated as original works of art because they exhibited the freedom and directness of expression lacking in the intaglio prints. Rubens revived the tradition of large-scale woodcuts, which had flourished in…
Read the full account in the museum source.
Christoffel Jegher (1596–1652) was a Flemish artist, born in Antwerp.
See the richer artist page
