Maria met kind

About this artwork

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Art Historical Context

**Maria met Kind (Mary with Child)** Jacopo de' Barbari's *Maria met Kind*, created around 1509–1510, is a delicate engraving measuring 155 × 190 mm. This Venetian artist, active in the early 16th century, was renowned for precise technical skill, blending Italian Renaissance elegance with Northern European influences from masters like Albrecht Dürer. The title, Dutch for "Mary with Child," reflects a timeless devotional theme popular in Northern Europe, where such images offered spiritual comfort to the faithful. As an engraving—a meticulous intaglio technique where the artist incises fine lines into a metal plate for inked impressions— this work showcases de' Barbari's mastery of line quality and texture. At this intimate scale, it exemplifies the portability of prints during the Renaissance, allowing widespread dissemination of sacred art beyond grand altarpieces. Produced late in his career, it highlights the era's growing sophistication in printmaking, bridging painting and mass reproduction. This piece invites contemplation of motherhood and divinity, resonating in a time of religious fervor before the Reformation. Visitors will appreciate its subtle grace, a testament to de' Barbari's innovative fusion of styles that helped elevate engraving as a respected medium. (198 words)

About the Artist

Jacopo de'Barbari · 1450–1516

Possibly born in Venice; died in Mechelen or Brussels before July 17, 1516. Barbari was the first Italian Renaissance artist of note to travel to the German and Netherlandish courts. He probably received training with Alvise Vivarini in Venice in the 1490s. His best-known painting is "Still Life with a Dead Partridge" of 1504, a a trompe l'oeil probably made for one of the palaces of the Saxon duk...