Madonna with Skull

Barthel Beham

Associated Names
Barthel Beham

Artist, German, 1502 - 1540

The image features a woman seated holding a small child in her arms. She has a detailed profile, with an expression of focus directed at the child. The woman has an intricate braided updo and wears a dress with long sleeves. The child is naked and appears comfortable in her embrace. Next to them are an hourglass and a human skull. Through a window in the background, a castle and trees are visible, adding depth to the scene.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    engraving on paper tinted with gray wash

  • Credit Line

    Rosenwald Collection

  • Dimensions

    image: 4.2 × 6.4 cm (1 5/8 × 2 1/2 in.)
    sheet: 4.6 × 6.8 cm (1 13/16 × 2 11/16 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1980.45.2243

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    Undescribed deceptive copy of Pauli 'Barthel', no. 6.

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Howard C. Levis, London (Lugt 1330); Lessing Julius Rosenwald, Philadelphia, PA; gift to NGA, 1980.

Associated Names

Bibliography

1911

  • Pauli, Gustav. Barthel Beham: ein kritisches Verzeichnis seiner Kupferstiche. Studien zur deutschen Kunstgeschichte, 135. Strasbourg: J.H. Ed. Heitz, 1911: no. 6.

1996

  • The New Hollstein German Engravings, Etchings and Woodcuts, 1400-1700. (Barthel Beham, compiled by Anne Röver-Kann). Ouderkerk aan den Ijssel: Sound & Vision Publishers, 2021: no. 38 (undescribed copy).

Wikidata ID

Q74033585

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