Hemelvaart en kroning van Maria

About this artwork

collector's mark: Lugt 2228

Art Historical Context

Behold Albrecht Dürer's *Hemelvaart en kroning van Maria* (Ascension and Coronation Mary), a captivating letterpress print from 1511 measuring 292 × 207 mm. This Renaissance masterpiece depicts the triumphant moment of Mary's ascent to heaven and her divine crowning by Christ, a popular devotional theme in early 16th-century Europe that purity, redemption, and heavenly glory. Dürer, the preeminent German artist and innovator of his time, elevated printmaking to fine art through his mastery of woodcut and engraving techniques—here realized via letterpress printing from a relief block. His precise lines and intricate details captured lifelike expressions and dramatic compositions, blending Northern realism with Italian Renaissance harmony. Prints like this revolutionized art accessibility, allowing intricate religious imagery to reach beyond elite patrons to households across Europe amid the dawn of the Reformation. Adorned with the collector's mark Lugt 2228, this impression hints at a storied provenance, underscoring its enduring value. Gaze upon it to feel the spiritual fervor of Dürer's era, where faith and artistry intertwined seamlessly.

About the Artist

Albrecht Dürer · 1471–1528

Albrecht Dürer (1471–1528) stands as the preeminent figure of the Northern Renaissance and arguably the most influential artist in the history of printmaking. Born in Nuremberg on May 21, 1471, and dying in the same city on April 6, 1528, Dürer revolutionized the status of the artist in Northern Europe, transforming printmaking from a commercial craft into an independent fine art and establishing ...