Rhenish Madonna, ca. 1360
MediumWalnut, polychromy on gesso largely original
(H x W)132 × 46 cm
About the workThe infant Jesus grasps his mother’s robe with a childlike gesture. In this depiction, the emotional relationship between mother and child comes to the fore. Mary originally held a sceptre or a flower in her right hand, while an apple – a symbol of divine power – is now missing from the left hand of the Christ child. The slender, curved female figure and her soft smile reflect the regal elegance of the French models. Around 1300, Cologne was an important intellectual and economic centre and maintained close ties with Paris in particular.
AccessionAcquisition 1934
Provenance[...]; bis spät. 30.10.1934 Dr. Eduard Plietzsch, Berlin; 30.10.1934 angekauft von Plietzsch
Inventory numberP 1934-24
