A Peasant Greeting the Statue of Mary 1817

Johann Christoph Erhard's "A Peasant Greeting the Statue of Mary" (1817) is a black and white etching depicting a peasant, with a sack on his back, walking towards a small shrine containing a statue of the Virgin Mary. The etching is set in a rural landscape, with a stone wall, trees, and a church in the background. The composition is balanced, with the peasant in the foreground and the shrine and church in the background, giving the viewer a sense of perspective and depth. This artwork was likely created as a print to be disseminated throughout the community, as the scene evokes a sense of everyday piety. The artwork is currently in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.