CC BY 4.0
Hans Baldung Grien
Madonna with Sleeping Child, 1520
About the object
The expanse of red background area is an unusual aspect in this work. The Virgin Mary looks decidedly sculptural against this backdrop. The slumbering child foreshadows Christ's sacrifice. The panel bears Baldung’s monogram and a date, which has been interpreted variously: as 1514 or with Arabic and Roman numerals as 1520 (1510 + X).