Tronende Maria met kind 1861 - 1889

This is William Unger’s engraving, “Tronende Maria met kind,” or "The Enthroned Madonna and Child," rendered with meticulous detail. The composition presents the Virgin Mary seated regally, holding the Christ Child, attended by angels and a kneeling figure. The motif of the enthroned Madonna, a powerful symbol, traces its roots to ancient Roman imperial imagery, where emperors were depicted on thrones as rulers of the world. In early Christian art, Mary’s enthronement symbolized her status as Queen of Heaven. The emotional resonance of the mother-child bond taps into the primal human experience, engaging viewers on a deep, subconscious level. This same motif echoes through time. Consider ancient Egyptian depictions of Isis and Horus, where we find a similar dynamic of a protective mother and divine child. These gestures carry deep cultural and psychological weight. The cyclical recurrence of symbols like the Enthroned Madonna highlights our shared human capacity for empathy and longing for the sacred, transcending time and evolving in meaning.