The Madonna with the Apple

Details

Bartsch VI, 132, Nr. 28; Lehrs 39; Falk/Hirthe 39; The New Hollstein 39; Schmitt 39.

Literatur:
Colmar 1991, Unterlinden Museum, Der hübsche Martin, Kat. Nr. K. 32.

Provenienz:
Galerie Kornfeld und Klipstein, Bern, Auktion 127, 12. Juni 1968, Los 218;
Privatsammlung, Schweiz;
Galerie Kornfeld, Bern, Lagerkatalog 2003. Die Geschichte der Grafik von 1430 bis 1990 in ausgewählten Werken, 23. September bis 29. November 2003, Los 11;.
Galerie Kornfeld, Bern, Auktion 256, 15. Juni 2012, Los 71;
Privatsammlung, Deutschland.

Description

Brilliant, deep black early impression, striking in all its subtleties. With the clearly visible horizontal scratches running through the image at the level of Virgin’s lower legs, which identify the sheet as an early impression. With a narrow margin around the platemark. Lehrs only knew a total of around 35 copies, of which only 8 were awarded *** stars.
This Madonna is the earliest that Schongauer engraved as a standing single figure. It is characterised as youthfully beautiful and graceful. The elegance of her pose and the dominance of the purely ornamental mantle can be traced back to the “Beautiful Madonnas” of the so-called “International Style” around 1400. Unlike all of Schongauer’s other Christ children, her son is not naked but dressed in a shirt. In his right hand he holds an apple, the symbol of the sin overcome by Virgin, the “New Eve”, with his birth (Hirthe, p. 124). – Traces of the platemark probably slightly accentuated later. Verso with tiny stains. A tiny paper loss outside the image at the left and lower edge, otherwise in very good condition. Very rare!