Madonna and Child with Grapes c. 1537

Lucas Cranach the Elder painted this "Madonna and Child with Grapes" on a wood panel. The composition strikes a delicate balance between the figures of Mary and Jesus, their forms rendered with soft modeling against a stark, dark background which pushes the figures forward. Consider how Cranach employs the grapes as a key structural component. Held by the Christ Child, they are both a symbol and a compositional pivot. This element shifts the interpretation of Mary. Rather than divine, we encounter a maternal figure. The lines of her body curve protectively around the child, while the fabric of her clothing cascades in folds, framing the scene. The painting creates a semiotic interplay, juxtaposing religious iconography with naturalistic elements. Cranach destabilizes conventional meanings, inviting ongoing interpretation rather than fixed understanding.