1485
chalk
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Christ and Mary Interceding with God the Father is a 1485 chalk by German 15th Century, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This drawing shows a crowded scene with three main figures. At the center, a bearded man with a crown and long robe sits on a throne, holding a staff. To his left, a younger man with curly hair and a halo points upward. To the right, a woman with long hair and a halo kneels, gesturing toward the seated figure. Around them, smaller figures with halos and wings float, holding scrolls with writing. The seated figure looks like a king or ruler, while the other two are likely saints or holy figures. The scrolls have Latin text, which was common in religious art of this time. Look up cross-hatching to see how artists like this one built shadows with lines.
This 15th-century German artist carved vivid religious scenes into metal and wood, then hand-painted them in bright, symbolic colors.
See the richer artist page
![Studies for Six Figures (sheet from a model book) [recto]](https://pub-3a17a9933ad74fb28aa30fa758592f23.r2.dev/artworks/4837429e0755bc3f/thumb.webp)
