The Virgin and Child on the Crescent 1430 - 1500

This is a colored woodcut print, The Virgin and Child on the Crescent, by an anonymous artist. The composition is structured by a central oval of radiant lines, around which are framed the figures of the Virgin Mary and the infant Christ. These figures dominate, yet they are enveloped in a halo of bright light. The entire pictorial space is bordered by a decorative chain of medallions, each containing a saint or symbolic motif. The formal arrangement of the piece emphasizes the divine, organizing the composition into distinct visual layers that separate and elevate the central figures. The artist's choices in line and color aren't merely decorative, they're tools for constructing meaning. Consider how the woodcut’s graphic quality and repetitive patterning invites us to decode its signs. By using the formal elements of the artwork, the artist constructs a visual vocabulary that communicates complex theological concepts.