Artwork Page for The Life of Christ: The Nativity

Details / Information for The Life of Christ: The Nativity

The Life of Christ: The Nativity

c. 1480–90

Martin Schongauer

(German, c. 1450–1491)
Culture
Germany
Medium
engraving
Credit Line
John L. Severance Fund by exchange and Gift of The Print Club of Cleveland in memory of William Mathewson Milliken 1978.85
Catalogue raisonné
Lehrs V.46.4; TIB 0801.5
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
Print

Description

Martin Schongauer was among the first artists to work extensively in engraving to create series on the life of Christ and the saints. Here, he portrayed the Virgin, clothed in elaborate drapery, gazing upon her newborn son in a simple setting. To produce this work, Schongauer carved directly into a copper plate, creating depth and tonal variation using a system of crosshatching and parallel lines. His technical skill was admired by a young Albrecht Dürer, who later depicted the same subject.
A vertically oriented white-gray engraving in dense black-inked fine lines depicts the Virgin Mary and baby Christ, both with light skin tones, in a makeshift shelter. Mary kneels centrally with a circular halo and clasped hands. To her right, Christ lies on a cloth atop straw. An ox and donkey stand behind them. Above, three winged figures hold a scroll, while two people walk in a distant, hilly landscape.

The Life of Christ: The Nativity

c. 1480–90

Martin Schongauer

(German, c. 1450–1491)
Germany

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