Death of the Virgin

c. 1470/1475

Martin Schongauer

Associated Names
Martin Schongauer

Artist, German, c. 1450 - 1491

This is an image of a group scene in an interior setting. The image depicts a crowded room where multiple figures are gathered around a central figure lying on a bed. The figures are intricately detailed, with careful attention given to the expressions and garments of each person. The central figure appears to be in a state of rest or unwell, as others engage in reading or observation around her. Curtains hang above and around the bed, adding a sense of intimacy and seclusion to the scene. The composition features rich textures, especially in the flowing drapery and hair of the individuals present. There is an intricate candlestick at the forefront. The initials "M + S" at the bottom indicate a signature mark.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    engraving on laid paper

  • Credit Line

    Rosenwald Collection

  • Dimensions

    sheet (trimmed to plate mark): 26.1 x 17.2 cm (10 1/4 x 6 3/4 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1943.3.34

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    Hollstein, no. 16, State i/ii

  • Series Title

    Life of the Virgin [Lehrs 5-7, 16]

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Joseph Otto Entres [1804-1870], Munich (Lugt 2941); (Charles Sessler, Philadelphia); purchased by Lessing J. Rosenwald [1891-1979], 1938; gift to NGA, 1943.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

1941

  • The First Century of Printmaking 1400-1500, The Art Institute of Chicago, 1941, no. 85, repro.

1945

  • Prints from the Lessing J. Rosenwald Collection in the National Gallery of Art, Washington, John Herron Art Institute, Indianapolis, IN, 1945, no. 8.

1946

  • Prints from the Rosenwald Collection, Cayuga Museum of History and Art, Auburn, NY, 1946, no cat.

1949

  • Goethe as a Print Lover: to Celebrate the Bicentennial of his Birth, Philadelphia Museum of Art, PA, 1949, no catalogue.

1953

  • Nuremberg and the German World, 1460-1530: Prints and books from the Kress and Rosenwald Collections, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., 1953, no catalogue.

1955

  • Miniatures and Prints from the Lessing J. Rosenwald Collection, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., 1955, no catalogue.

1965

  • Master Prints from the Rosenwald Collection, Virginia Museum of Fine Art, Richmond; and Philadelphia Museum of Art, 1965, no. 22.

1967

  • Fifteenth Century Engravings of Northern Europe from the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., NGA, 1967-1968, no. 41, repro.

1968

  • Colorado College, Colorado Springs, CO, 1968-1969, no catalogue.

1971

  • Albrecht Dürer: The Early Graphic Works, Princeton University Art Museum, NJ, 1971, no. 27, repro.

1975

  • The Inspired Copy: Artists Look at Art, Baltimore Museum of Art, 1975, no. 10A, repro.

1983

  • Graphic Survey Show, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., May 1983.

1995

  • Imitation and Invention: Old Master Prints and Their Sources, National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1995.

Bibliography

1908

  • Lehrs, Max. Geschichte und kritischer Katalog des deutschen, niederlandischen und franzosischen Kupferstichs im XV. Jahrhundert. 9 vols. and 1 plate vol. Vienna: Gesellschaft fur vervielfaltigende Kunst, 1908-1934.

1949

  • Hollstein, F.W.H. et al. German engravings, etchings and woodcuts ca. 1400-1700. 8 vols. Amsterdam: Menno Hertzberger, 1954-1868. Dutch and Flemish etchings, engravings and woodcuts, ca. 1450-1700. Vols. I-XV, XVIII, XIX. Amsterdam: Menno Hertzberge

1967

  • Shestack, Alan. Fifteenth Century Engravings of Northern Europe from the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.. Exh. cat. Washington: National Gallery of Art, 1967: no. 41.

Watermarks

bull's head with star (close to Lehrs 44, 45)

Wikidata ID

Q64960214

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