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Jean de Gourmont

The Virgin Seated on an Altar

1520/40
Engraving in black on ivory laid paper
8.1 × 7.9 cm (3.2 × 3.1 in)

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In the collection of Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago · as of July 2026

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FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO’S CATALOG

Here the Virgin and Child—sitting atop a classical altar turned into a Christian throne—preside over an audience of awed shepherds. A luxuriously patterned cloth of honor with tassels softens the rigid architecture, spilling forward down the steps to the rapt audience.

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