Madonna and Child with Saints Elizabeth, John and Anne
n.d.
Medium
Pen and brownish-black ink, with brush and brown wash, heightened with touches of white gouache, on lunette-shaped tan laid paper
Dimensions
30.1 × 19.6 cm (11 7/8 × 7 3/4 in.)
Classification
pen and ink drawings
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
84333
Art Historical Context
This delicate drawing by Hans von Aachen captures the tender gathering of the Madonna and Child alongside Saints Elizabeth, John the Baptist, and Anne. The composition centers on the intimate bond between mother and infant, with the saints arranged in a graceful, protective arc that emphasizes themes of devotion, lineage, and spiritual guidance. Created in pen and brownish-black ink with brown wash and white gouache highlights on lunette-shaped tan paper, the work reveals von Aachen’s skill in using light and shadow to model forms and suggest volume within a compact space. As a preparatory st...