Virgin and Child Seated by the Wall, 1514
Albrecht Dürerexpand_more
Engravingexpand_more
Gift of Peter R. Spokes in memory of C.C. and Beecher Hoganexpand_more 2013.26.3
Not on Viewexpand_more
Albrecht Dürer was the premier artist of renaissance Germany and remains the greatest engraver of all time. This exquisite work comes from the period when the artist's handling of the burin—the engraver's tool—was at its apogee. With countless minute incisions into the copper printing plate, he created an image filled with seemingly microscopic detail that seems monumental at the same time. He gives us a convincing impression of the Virgin's silken robes contrasted with the stony foundations of the massive fortification. Similarly the solidity of the foreground objects is matched against the airiness of the verdant countryside. Yet another contrast is that between the quiet peace and contentment of the mother and the disquiet of the Christ child, who firmly displays his apple, an allegory of the earthly world and man's sin, while looking at us with a probing gaze. Indeed this image conveys a yearning for a return to the Garden in a time before man ate from the Tree of Knowledge—redemption made possible through faith and symbolized by Mary's location outside the walls of a recognizable Nuremberg.
Details
- Title
- Virgin and Child Seated by the Wall
- Artist Life
- 1471–1528
- Role
- Artist
- Accession Number
- 2013.26.3
- Provenance
- [P&D Colnaghi, London, inv. nos. C6010 (crossed out) and C12807]. Peter Spokes, Minneapolis
- Catalogue Raisonne
- Bartsch 40; Meder 36
- Curator Approved
This record is from historic documentation and may not have been reviewed by a curator, so may be inaccurate or incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.
Does something look wrong with this image? Let us know
Zoom in on the left to the detail you'd like to save. Click 'Save detail' and wait until the image updates. Right click the image to 'save image as' or copy link, or click the image to open in a new tab.