Madonna and Child

Jürgen Kriebel

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 520

Kriebel, one of the few North German sculptors, carved this plaque from a single piece of ivory. He took advantage of the material’s softness to create a background of clouded sky. Paper thin and translucent, the ivory allows light to pass through and illuminate the Madonna’s downturned head as she gazes adoringly at her sleeping child’s peaceful face. The pair’s smooth skin is enhanced by the surrounding folds of layered drapery of the Madonna’s clothing and of the blankets cradling the infant Christ.

Madonna and Child, Jürgen Kriebel (1580/90 –1645), Ivory, German, Magdeburg

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