Lot number 3524 - Auction 155
MADONNA MIT KIND AUF DER MONDSICHEL

WORKSHOP OR SCHOL OF HEINRICH ALDEGREVER 1502 Paderborn - Between 1555 and 1561 Soest MADONNA WITH CHILD ON THE MOON CRESCENT Oil tempera on oak panel, panel trimmed to original shape with segmental arch finish. 33.5 x 20 cm (R. 46 x 31.5 cm). Old monogram "AD" in gold revealed in the lower right corner after cleaning and restoration. Verso: Wooden panel and frame each stamped several times with "LA" (probably workshop, inventory or ownership mark). Partially restored, slight retouching (restoration report enclosed). Frame. The standing Madonna appears as an apocalyptic crescent moon Madonna according to the Revelation of John (Rev. 12:1). She holds the Christ Child close to her. The child holds a globe as a symbol of Christ's world dominion. Mary's calm head tilt, gentle facial expression and softly modelled folds of her cloak lend the depiction a distinctly intimate, devotional effect. The composition largely follows the well-known copperplate engraving Virgin on a Crescent by Heinrich Aldegrever, dated 1508. Aldegrever, an important representative of the so-called 'Kleinmeister' (minor masters) and a close successor to Albrecht Dürer, had a lasting influence on this type of image. The anonymous painter translates the graphic model into a painterly visual language, complemented by gold accents and a calm, closed surface effect typical of devotional paintings of the early German Renaissance. The work is a characteristic example of the reception of print models in panel painting in the first half of the 16th century. The combination of Aldegrever's graphic composition with an independent, painterly interpretation points to a high-quality workshop or regional master in the German-speaking world, possibly northern or central Germany. Literature: Cf. Heinrich Aldegrever, Virgin on a Crescent, copperplate engraving, 1508 (various museum collections). Provenance: Private collection Germany