Madonna and Child c. 1480

This "Madonna and Child" is an early print on a small, irregular sheet. The composition is dominated by a clear vertical axis where the figures of Mary and the Christ Child reside. The artist uses a stark contrast of light and dark to define forms, a technique rooted in the printmaking tradition. Observe how the lines create a complex interplay of drapery folds and facial features, producing a texture that seems to ripple across the surface. This effect challenges the very notion of a static, iconic representation. The use of gold, particularly in the halos, adds a symbolic dimension. However, the rough application and the bleeding of color introduce an element of imperfection. This tension between the sacred and the mundane invites a structural reading, revealing the underlying mechanics of representation itself. The work destabilizes the fixed image of religious iconography, engaging instead with the semiotic interplay of signs, symbols, and their inherent instability. The artwork prompts us to re-evaluate how meaning is constructed.