Holy Family with a Dragonfly
ca. 1495
Medium
Engraving
Dimensions
Sheet: 9 5/16 × 7 1/4 in. (23.6 × 18.4 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The George Khuner Collection, Gift of Mrs. George Khuner, 1968
Accession Number
68.793.6
Tags
Art Historical Context
Albrecht Dürer's *Holy Family with a Dragonfly* (ca. 1495) is a masterful engraving from the early career of this German Renaissance genius, capturing the tender intimacy of the Virgin Mary, Christ Child, and St. Joseph amid a serene landscape. Created when Dürer was just his mid-20s, during his formative years in Nuremberg, the print exemplifies the Northern Renaissance's blend of spiritual devotion and keen observation of nature. The inclusion of a delicate dragonfly perched nearby adds a touch of whimsy and realism, hinting at themes of transience and resurrection—common motifs in late medi...
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 ...