Artwork

The Madonna and Child Enthroned, with Saints Corbinian and Sigismund

The Madonna and Child Enthroned, with Saints Corbinian and Sigismund is an ink print by the Renaissance artist German 15th Century. It dates from 1492 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. The work is a hand‑coloured woodcut on laid paper, depicting the Virgin Mary seated on a throne with the infant Christ.

About this work

Overview

The work is a hand‑coloured woodcut on laid paper, depicting the Virgin Mary seated on a throne with the infant Christ. Flanking the central figures are two saints, each holding symbolic objects, set against a plain white background framed by a leafy ornamental border.

Subject & Meaning

Mary is shown in a long brown robe, while the child is nude except for a halo, emphasizing his divine nature. The saint on the left wears a white habit and a red cap, holding a staff and gazing toward the Madonna, suggesting intercession. The figure on the right, clad in red, carries a globe and looks at the Child, alluding to Christ’s universal sovereignty.

Technique & Style

The image is executed as a woodcut, with fine incised lines that define the figures and decorative elements. After printing, the design was hand‑coloured using red lake, red‑orange, green, blue, and yellow pigments, adding vivid accents to the garments, the tiled floor, and the heraldic shields on the ground.

History & Provenance

The print belongs to the tradition of early modern devotional imagery, produced for private contemplation. Its specific origin, workshop, and ownership trail are not documented in the supplied data, indicating a typical circulation among collectors of religious prints.

Context

The composition reflects conventional iconography of the Virgin and Child enthroned, a motif common in late medieval and Renaissance art. The inclusion of saints with distinctive attributes aligns with the practice of presenting patron saints alongside the holy family for intercessory purposes.