ALBRECHT ALTDORFER
ca. 1480 Regensburg 1538
5 The “Beautiful Virgin of Regensburg” on a Throne.
ca. 1519/20
Engraving. 6,0 x 4,1 cm Bartsch 13; Hollstein 14; Winzinger 137/a (of c); New Hollstein e.14
Very fine early impression printed in deep black ink prior to the scratches in the sky. With thread margins, at the bottom with the borderline. In absolutely perfect condition. The miniaturesque composition is closely connec ted with the pilgrimage to the “ Beautiful Virgin” of the socalled “ New Chapel” in Regensburg. On February 21, 1519 the city government of Regensburg decided to expel the Jews from Regensburg. The demolition of the synagogue, which is recorded by Altdorfer in two engravings (B. 63 and 64) when it was still intact, started the same day. The apparently quick recovery of a sto nemason who had an accident during the demoli tion was sensationally up valued on purpose to be declared as a miracle caused by the Virgin at the place of her forthcoming veneration. The pilgri mage to the “ Beautiful Virgin” presented on a pro visional altar in a wooden chapel, first in the form of a byzantine inf luenced painting, which was replaced by Hans Leinberger’s sculpture shortly afterwards, drew quickly large crowds and soon grew into a mass movement poked by the cathedral preacher Balthasar Huebmair again. The decline in 1522 and 1523 was as rapid as the rise had been feverish. Altdorfer met the demand of pilgrimage souvenirs in different kinds. Whereas he attempted to reproduce the cult image with his chiaroscuro woodcut (B. 51), he varied the theme in the present composition. The garment of the Virgin, enthroned in front of an altarpiece, adopts the byzantine encolpion, the headscarf set with stars, the characteristic element of both miraculous images venerated in the “ New Chapel”. Altdorfer’s pilgrimage print cites the “ Beautiful Virgin of Regensburg” as a type only and transferred it into a new context presen ting new associations for the contemplative devotion of the pilgrims when retur ning home. Winzinger felt confirmed in his supposition of a first Italian sojourn of the artist in 1518, because of the Venetian references of the altar architecture showing clo se relationship with Giovanni Bellini’s Frari altarpiece.
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