Basic Information

Historical Context

An oil painting depicting the Virgin and Child with an apple — a symbol of the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge and, by extension, of Christ as the new Adam who redeems the Fall. [Inferred from Dürer Catalog] Visual Description The Virgin holds the Christ Child on her lap, offering him an apple. The Child reaches for the fruit. The Virgin's face is gentle and maternal. A landscape or cloth of honor forms the background. The composition is intimate and domestic. Artistic Analysis This painting demonstrates Dürer's mature Madonna type, in which theological symbolism is integrated into a scene of maternal tenderness. The apple — simultaneously the fruit of sin and the symbol of Christ's redemptive mission — adds a layer of meaning to the intimate mother-child interaction.