The Crowned Virgin in a Niche

About this work

This drawing shows a woman holding a baby, both crowned with thorny halos. She stands in a shallow niche, draped in heavy, flowing robes that look like carved stone. The background is plain except for a few steps behind her. The artist used fine lines to create texture—notice how the folds in her dress look almost three-dimensional. The date "1543" is scribbled in the corner, matching the year this was made. Try looking up etching to see how artists use acid and metal plates to make these precise, detailed lines.