Madonna in Glory Crowned by Angels (Schr. 1111c)

Art Historical Context

This delicate 15th-century woodcut, titled *Madonna in Glory Crowned by Angels*, captures the Virgin Mary enthroned with the Christ Child, surrounded by adoring angels. Created by an anonymous German artist, the small print—me just over five inches tall—belongs to a rich tradition of devotional imagery produced in the late Middle Ages. Its catalog reference (Schr. 1111c) places it among early European single-sheet prints designed for personal prayer and contemplation. Woodcuts like this one played a vital role in 15th-century religious life. Carved from a wooden block, inked, and pressed onto paper, they allowed images of sacred figures to be reproduced affordably and widely distributed. In an era before the printing press transformed communication, such prints helped spread iconography and foster private devotion among people who could not afford paintings or illuminated manuscripts. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Department of Drawings and Prints, this work exemplifies the anonymous craftsmanship that shaped early printmaking. Its intimate scale and clear, expressive lines reflect both the technical limits and the spiritual purpose of the medium, inviting viewers to connect directly with the heavenly scene.