Maria, dem Kind einen Granatapfel reichend

Hans Holbein the Elder painted this Maria Offering the Christ Child a Pomegranate around 1511 for the Kunsthistorisches Museum. The pomegranate's rich symbolism, representing both the Passion through its red seeds and the Church through its unified multiplicity, made it a frequent attribute in Marian imagery. The tempera medium required careful preparation on a gessoed panel and a disciplined layering technique that produced precise, durable surfaces suited to the intricate detail expected of devotional painting.

The panel demonstrates Holbein the Elder's mature technique with sensitive rendering of the Madonna's features and the symbolic fruit, combining devotional sweetness with careful craftsmanship.