Hans Sebald BehamGerman, 1500–1550Virgin and Child
May one see it?
Yes, receiving visitors
Minneapolis Institute of Art
RoomG344Minneapolis, United States
On public display.
- Checked
- 3 days ago
- In this state since
- Sep 25, 2026
- Source
- The museum's own collection data
About the work
Virgin and Child was clearly meant to be seen from a distance. The large, uncluttered composition allows the flowing lines to stand out. Its creator, Sebald Beham, meant it for public devotion of the Madonna. He used simple patterns of lines to make the cutting of the printing block quicker and cheaper, an important consideration for a work of art intended for a middle-class market. Most examples were probably affixed to walls and have long since perished from exposure to weather, insects, and vandalism. Of the hundreds printed, only about a dozen survive.
The enclosure within which Mary sits is the hortus conclusis, the enclosed garden that separates her from the outside world, symbolizing a sort of new Eden for the pure Virgin. Common in late-medieval Marian iconography, the idea echoes the Songs of Solomon (4:12):
Read on
A garden locked is my sister, my bride, a spring locked, a fountain sealed.
Minneapolis Institute of Art
Particulars
- Accession number
- 2016.15.1
In the catalog
Sources
- Minneapolis Institute of Art: the museum's own open data · fetched 3 days ago
- Image: Minneapolis Institute of Art — public domain
