The Entombment
c. 1513
Medium
woodcut on laid paper
Dimensions
sheet (trimmed to block): 7.2 × 4.8 cm (2 13/16 × 1 7/8 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Rosenwald Collection
Accession Number
1943.3.358
Art Historical Context
Albrecht Altdorfer *The Entombment*, created around 1513, is a woodcut on laid paper, measuring just7.2 × 4.8 cm—small enough to fit in the palm of your hand. As a leading figure of the Northern Renaissance and the Danube School, Alorfer was renowned for innovative prints and landscapes, blending meticulous detail with atmospheric depth. This intimate work exemplifies early 16th-century printmaking, a revolutionary technique that allowed artists to produce affordable, reproducible images for widespread devotion during the eve of the Reformation. The scene captures the poignant biblical moment...
About the Artist
Albrecht Altdorfer · 1475–1538
Albrecht Altdorfer (c. 1480–1538) was a German painter, printmaker, and draftsman who stands as one of the founders of landscape painting as an independent genre. Born in Regensburg or nearby Altdorf, he learned art from his father Ulrich, a painter and miniaturist. Altdorfer spent most of his life in Regensburg, becoming a citizen in 1505 and later serving as the city's official architect and a m...