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Madonna and Child on a Grassy Bench

A work made of woodcut in black on cream laid paper.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A work made of woodcut in black on cream laid paper.

Date:

1505–07

Artist:

Hans Baldung Grien
German, 1484/85-1545

About this artwork

Collecting prints after cult statues and miraculous paintings was part of both the European and the Japanese pilgrimage traditions. These woodcuts (2009.43, 2013.172, and 2013.159) could be combined to create their own cult object. Saints Catherine and Barbara flank a frontal Virgin and Child, suggesting the works were intended to be mounted together as a folding domestic altarpiece. The letterpress below each image encouraged meditation and engagement. While only Catherine’s text survives in these impressions, each object would have included both stately Latin verses describing the saint’s history and martyrdom, as well as German prayers pleading for assistance and protection.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Prints and Drawings

Artist

Hans Baldung Grien

Title

Madonna and Child on a Grassy Bench

Place

Germany (Artist's nationality:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

1505–1507

Medium

Woodcut in black on cream laid paper

Dimensions

Image/sheet, block mark not visible: 23.6 × 16 cm (9 5/16 × 6 5/16 in.)

Credit Line

Anonymous gift

Reference Number

2013.172

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.

https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/219078/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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