Who painted Madonna and Child in a Glory Standing on a Crescent Moon?

Madonna and Child in a Glory Standing on a Crescent Moon was painted by German 15th Century in 1455.

Where can I see Madonna and Child in a Glory Standing on a Crescent Moon?

Madonna and Child in a Glory Standing on a Crescent Moon is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Madonna and Child in a Glory Standing on a Crescent Moon?

Madonna and Child in a Glory Standing on a Crescent Moon is associated with Renaissance.

Artwork

Madonna and Child in a Glory Standing on a Crescent Moon

German 15th Century , 1455

Madonna and Child in a Glory Standing on a Crescent Moon is an ink print by the Renaissance artist German 15th Century. It dates from 1455 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

The work is a woodcut print depicting a seated Madonna and Child, rendered in gray‑black lines and enhanced with hand‑applied pigments of red lake, yellow, green and brown. The central figures are surrounded by a radiant aureole, and they stand upon a crescent moon, set against a light yellow background.

Subject & Meaning

The image presents the Virgin Mary crowned and robed in red, holding the infant Jesus, who bears a modest halo. The celestial glow and the moon beneath them evoke traditional iconography of the Virgin’s triumph over darkness and her role as the Queen of Heaven.

Technique & Style

Executed as a woodcut, the design relies on carved black lines that define forms and texture. After printing, the artist applied selective color washes, a common practice in early modern devotional prints, allowing vivid accents to emerge from the monochrome base.

History & Provenance

The piece belongs to the tradition of religious prints produced for private devotion in the early modern period. Its hand‑coloring suggests it was intended for a relatively affluent owner who could afford the additional labor of pigment application.

Context

Woodcut devotional images circulated widely in the 16th and 17th centuries, offering accessible religious imagery to households lacking painted altarpieces. The inclusion of a crescent moon references the apocryphal description of Mary's Assumption and aligns with contemporary Marian symbolism.

Legacy

Such prints contributed to the visual standardization of Marian iconography, influencing later engravings and paintings that repeated the crowned Virgin on a lunar throne, reinforcing her theological significance across European art.