The Virgin and Child Crowned by Angels

Martin Schongauer is probably best known for his engravings, an art form which allowed the rapid dissemination of images, and established Schongauer’s reputation throughout Europe. Made for private devotion, this image of the Virgin and Child is one of the few surviving paintings by Schongauer and relates closely to engravings made by him in the 1470s. The artist conveys in the Virgin’s face a sense of motherly devotion mixed with the sorrow of knowing the infant’s fate.