La Vierge au Bras Couvert
1650
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
1650
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
Dominant colour
La Vierge au Bras Couvert is a 1650 by Jerome Hieronymous Wierix, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
This image depicts a somber scene of the Virgin Mary standing over the lifeless body of Jesus Christ. The Virgin Mary is dressed in a long robe and veil, with her right arm outstretched towards Jesus. Jesus lies on the ground, his head resting on a rock, with his arms and legs splayed out to the sides. The background of the image features a cityscape with buildings and mountains in the distance. The image is rendered in a detailed and realistic style, with intricate textures and shading that give the scene a sense of depth and dimensionality. The use of chiaroscuro, a technique that uses strong contrasts between light and dark to create a sense of volume and depth, adds to the overall dramatic effect of the image. To learn more about this technique, explore the concept of chiaroscuro.
The engraving *La Vierge au Bras Couvert* depicts the Madonna mourning over the dead Christ, derived from a design by Raphael and adapted from Marcantonio Raimondi’s print. Jerome Hieronymous Wierix’s version includes a distant view of Jerusalem in the background. Executed in print on paper, the work bears an inscription at the bottom reading *Aspicis vt mœsti, &c.*
Read the full account in the museum source.
Jerome Hieronymous Wierix carved delicate prints in the late 1500s and early 1600s.
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