Madonna and Child
n.d.
Medium
Red chalk, with brush and red chalk wash, on cream wove paper, prepared with a gray wash ground
Dimensions
30.7 × 22.4 cm (12 1/8 × 8 7/8 in.)
Classification
chalk
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
85850
Art Historical Context
Nestled in the Art Institute of Chicago's Prints Drawings department, this intimate *Madonna and Child* captures a timeless Christian iconography: the Virgin Mary tenderly cradling the infant Jesus Created by an unknown artist on cream wove paper prepared with a subtle gray wash ground, the work measures a modest 30.7 × 22.4 cm, close contemplation of its delicate lines and soft modeling. Executed in red chalk augmented by brush and red chalk wash, the exemplifies a refined drawing technique favored for its warm tonality and ability to suggest volume and flesh tones. The prepared ground enhan...