Skip to Content

Shield with a Unicorn, Held by a Lady

A work made of engraving in black on ivory laid paper.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

Image actions

  • A work made of engraving in black on ivory laid paper.

Date:

1480/90

Artist:

Martin Schongauer
German, c. 1430/50-1491

About this artwork

In contrast to the wild man, woman, and child seen nearby (1956.917 and 1944.608), this engraving portrays a member of civilization. Only virgins were said to be able to attract and tame unicorns; by including the mythical beast in the shield, Schongauer emphasized the subject’s purity. Later Northern European artists such as Albrecht Dürer would frequently feature this type of grassy bench in depictions of tender moments between the Virgin Mary and Christ Child.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Prints and Drawings

Artist

Martin Schongauer

Title

Shield with a Unicorn, Held by a Lady

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.

1480–1490

Medium

Engraving in black on ivory laid paper

Dimensions

7.6 × 7.6 cm (3 × 3 in.)

Credit Line

Clarence Buckingham Collection

Reference Number

1944.610

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/90006/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.

Share

Sign up for our enewsletter to receive updates.

Learn more

Image actions

Share