1401
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Madonna and Child is a 1401 ink by Netherlandish 15th Century, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This small print shows a woman holding a baby, both looking upward with calm faces. She wears a simple robe and a head covering, while the baby has a loose cloth draped over its shoulder. Around them, swirling lines and tiny dots fill the background, giving it a busy, textured look. The image is dark and slightly faded, like an old sketch. The artist used fine lines to create shadows and patterns, especially on the woman’s robe and the baby’s cloth. This is an example of engraving, a technique where artists carve into metal plates to make prints.
These prints show Christ’s suffering in bold, hand-colored images from 15th-century Northern Europe.
See the richer artist page
