The Death of the Virgin

This complex engraving about the apocryphal story of the Virgin's death was perhaps Schongauer's most celebrated print. The twelve Apostles—Matthias had been chosen to replace Judas after the Ascension of Christ—miraculously appeared at Mary's bedside as she lay dying. Schongauer powerfully depicts the intense grief of the moment in the varied emotional responses of each figure. A profusion of detail fills the scene, notably the varied and ample costumes of the Apostles, many of whom are shown carrying their various attributes, the twisting drapery curtains, the large cross, and the candles. That Schongauer's father was a successful goldsmith certainly explains the special attention relished on the elaborate candlestick in the foreground. Given the close connection between metalworking and the art of engraving, it was probably in his father's shop that the young artist first learned to engrave.