Virgin and Child

Workshop or Circle of Hans Traut German

This painting testifies to the widespread influence of early Netherlandish masters on German artists of the last half of the fifteenth century. Although the exact prototype for this Virgin and Child is unknown, the composition and figure style can be generally associated with models by Dieric Bouts that were widely circulated through drawings. Technical examination revealed that the underdrawing of the figures was transferred onto the panel from a preexisting pattern. The landscape, however, was painted freehand and bears a close resemblance to a German watercolor drawing (Universitätsbibliothek Erlangen), supporting the attribution to the workshop or circle of Hans Traut.