Artwork
Virgin with Child by Hans Holbein the Elder, Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga
Virgin with Child by Hans Holbein the Elder, Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga is an oil painting by the Northern Renaissance artist Hans Holbein the Elder. It dates from 1519 and is held in the collection of the National Museum of Ancient Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Surrounding this holy pair is a gathering of numerous saints and angels, creating a complex devotional scene.
The work is a religious painting depicting the Virgin Mary and the Christ Child as its central figures. Surrounding this holy pair is a gathering of numerous saints and angels, creating a complex devotional scene. The assembled figures include Saint Anne and Joachim, alongside a diverse group of female martyrs and saints such as Agatha of Sicily, Saint Apollonia, Saint Ursula, Saint Barbara, Dorothea of Caesarea, Catherine of Alexandria, Agnes of Rome, Genevieve of Paris, and Margaret the Virgin.
The presence of Mary Magdalene further enriches the spiritual narrative. This composition serves as a visual representation of the communion of saints, placing the Holy Family within a broader context of Christian veneration and intercession.
Technique & Style
The work is executed in oil paint on a wooden panel, measuring 192 cm in height and 137.5 cm in width. The composition features the Virgin Mary cradling the Christ Child amid a gathering of saints and angels, rendered with the meticulous detail characteristic of Hans Holbein the Elder's Augsburg workshop. The handling of light and spatial depth reflects a transitional style between the late Gothic and emerging Renaissance naturalism, with fine linear modeling of drapery and individualized facial expressions.
History & Provenance
The work was created in 1519 as an oil painting on panel. It entered the collection of the National Museum of Ancient Art (Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga) in Lisbon, where it remains in the museum's holdings. The painting was produced by Hans Holbein the Elder and portrays the Virgin Mary with the Christ Child alongside a group of saints and angels.
No specific inventory or accession number is recorded in the available sources, and no exhibition history beyond its presence in the museum's collection is documented.
Overview
Created in 1519, this oil painting by Hans Holbein the Elder presents a devotional tableau centred on the Virgin Mary seated on an elevated throne. She holds the infant Christ, while three female saints, Agatha, Agnes, and Catherine, are positioned around her, either kneeling or standing. The composition is framed by an architectural backdrop of arches and columns, and a host of angels occupies the upper space.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Hans Holbein the Elder (c. 1460/65 – 1524) was a German painter of the early German Renaissance. He was the father of painters Ambrosius and Hans the Younger.
- The Adoration of the Kings
The mystic marriage of Saint Catherine
The Adoration of the Shepherds
Nativity of the Virgin
Virgin and Child with Saint Anne, Saint Gereon, and a Donor
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Portinari Triptych
Anbetung der Könige
De H. Maagschap
Adoration of the Magi with Sigismund I of Poland.
Virgo inter Virgines
Sermon of St. Ambrose Outside: Two standing holy bishops