Maria met kind met appel 1520

Sebald Beham's "Maria met kind met appel", made in the 16th century, presents us with a striking study in contrasts, achieved through the precise medium of engraving. The composition is dominated by the figures of Mary and the Christ Child, nestled within a landscape of contrasting textures. Notice how Beham uses line to delineate form: Mary's robes are a complex play of folds and shadows, while the background features a stark, barren tree set against soft, cloud-like foliage. The mountain in the distance, rendered with sharp, angular strokes, provides a dramatic counterpoint to the gentle curves of Mary's face and hair. The use of light is equally strategic. The halo around Mary and Jesus is not a soft glow, but a series of carefully etched lines that radiate outwards, creating a sense of divine illumination. The apple held by the Christ Child is a potent symbol, made all the more so by its understated presence. These formal choices create a work that is both reverent and subtly subversive, inviting us to reconsider established iconographies.