Life of the Virgin: The Nativity
Albrecht Dürer (German, 1471–1528)
1504–1505
Medium
woodcut
Classification
Department
Prints
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Gift of The Print Club of Cleveland
Accession Number
1922.293
Tags
male
About this artwork
This print depicting Christ’s birth belongs to one of the numerous print series that Albrecht Dürer produced on religious themes. Here, the artist focused on everyday details of the Virgin Mary’s life story to emphasize her humanity. Dürer revolutionized the technique of woodcut with such scenes, which told biblical stories with enough descriptive detail and skillful narrative staging to minimize the need for text. The textures, fine details, and perspectival space of his woodcuts surpassed any ...