The Virgin with a Fish

About this work

This engraving shows a woman holding a child, seated on a raised platform. Around her, a bearded man reads a book, a winged figure kneels with a fish, and another child reaches toward the woman. The scene feels calm but busy, with careful lines showing folds in clothing and shadows on faces. The fish in the kneeling figure’s hands is a quiet clue—it’s not just decoration. This kind of detail was often packed with meaning in art from this time. Next, check out how engraving works to see how artists carved these precise lines.