This painting of the Virgin Mary with the infant Christ was probably made for private devotion. Seated on a cushion, its thick tassels protruding from beneath the folds of her draperies, the Virgin is about to breastfeed her child. The flowers in the vase on the right are pinks, called Nelke (‘nailflowers’) in German, and refer to Christ’s crucifixion. The delicate columbine on the left – the long-stemmed plant with bell-shaped flowers – was associated with the Virgin Mary as well as the Holy Ghost, often depicted as a dove (columba means ‘dove’ in Latin).
Infrared photographs reveal a detailed underdrawing. The areas of shadow in the Virgin’s drapery and on the tiles are indicated with minute parallel strokes (called hatching), sometimes crossed over to make it appear even denser (cross-hatching). The precision and the lack of alterations in the underdrawing suggest it was copied from an existing model in the master’s workshop by one of his assistants.
This painting of the Virgin Mary with the infant Christ was probably made for private devotion. The artist has provided the owner with plenty of details to appreciate, such as the delicately painted strawberry plant in the foreground and the golden sheen of the Virgin’s long hair. The picture appeals to the senses of smell, touch and hearing as well as sight. It evokes the scent of the flowers growing in the foreground and those scattered by the smallest angel hovering on the left, the warmth and softness of the Virgin’s draperies and the sound of the heavenly orchestra of the angels around the throne.
The Virgin is about to breastfeed her child. She is seated not on a throne but on a cushion, its thick tassels protruding beneath the folds of her draperies. A soft grey fur lines her gown, and little clefts appear where the material creases over her knee. The materials surrounding the mother and child’s tactile cocoon are colder and sharper. The floor is tiled and the carved decoration which frames the arch includes exaggerated spikes, perhaps intended to recall the crown of thorns that Christ was forced to wear at the Crucifixion.
The flowers also have symbolic meanings. The pinks in the vase on the right, called Nelke (‘nailflowers’) in German, refer to Christ’s crucifixion. The delicate columbine on the left – the long-stemmed plant with bell-shaped flowers – was associated with the Virgin Mary as well as the Holy Ghost, often depicted as a dove (columba means dove in Latin). God the Father is also present, positioned directly above the Virgin and Child on the morse (brooch) worn by the central angel above the throne.
Infrared photographs reveal neat and detailed underdrawing. The areas of shadow in the Virgin’s drapery and on the tiles are indicated with minute parallel strokes (called hatching), sometimes crossed over with another stroke to make it appear even denser (cross-hatching). In areas these short repetitive lines give the picture the appearance of an engraving. The underdrawing is different to that by the Master himself – for example, in Saints Dorothy and Peter – which is equally fine but more complex and revealing a number of alterations. It wasn't unusual for artists to prepare designs in advance, but there is usually evidence of changes of mind in the underdrawing as well as differences between the underdrawing and the final image. Where there are no changes, it is often a sign that an assistant was faithfully reproducing a preexisting design.
