The Virgin fainting and being supported in the arms of the holy women
Original title: The Virgin fainting and being supported in the arms of the holy women
kurzbeschreibung
A group of women has gathered around a fainting figure. This engraving by Giulio Bonasone, made between 1531 and 1576, presents a religious or historical event: the Virgin Mary is supported by the holy women after she has lost consciousness.
Description
A woman lies on a stretcher, surrounded closely by several companions in simple, traditional robes. One holds the fainting woman, another touches her head, and a third kneels on the ground with a book or a sheet of paper. Their gestures convey care and dismay. Even light falls across the scene, and shading brings out the folds of the garments and the movements of the bodies.
Context
Giulio Bonasone was a sixteenth-century Italian engraver who worked in Bologna and Rome. Many reproductive engravings after works by Michelangelo and Raphael are by his hand. At a time when printmaking flourished in Italy, engravings also helped spread religious motifs.
Impact
The tight arrangement of the figures and the expressive gestures create an intense emotional tension that draws the viewer directly into the event. Fine lines and a balanced distribution of light produce a calm yet animated atmosphere that underscores the tragedy of the moment.
Technique
For this engraving, lines were cut into a metal plate and then printed on paper. The process allows for fine details and precise shading, as seen in the carefully worked garments and faces. The monochrome reproduction is typical of Renaissance printmaking.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)