Maria met Christuskind 1495 - 1554

This woodcut, "Maria met Christuskind," was created by Jost de Negker, and is currently held in the Rijksmuseum. The eye is drawn to the central figures of Mary and the Christ Child, surrounded by a radiant burst of light. De Negker's use of bold lines creates a striking contrast and a sense of depth. The composition employs a vertical orientation, emphasizing the towering, godly presence of Mary. The texture achieved through the woodcut technique adds a tactile quality to the image, grounding the divine in the material world. The radiating lines suggest a divine aura, yet they also serve to flatten the space, pushing the figures forward. This interplay between depth and flatness destabilizes traditional notions of perspective, prompting a re-evaluation of how we perceive the sacred within the mundane. We are left to consider how the formal elements challenge fixed meanings of reverence and representation.