The Nativity
c. 1513
Medium
woodcut on laid paper
Dimensions
block: 7.2 × 4.9 cm (2 13/16 × 1 15/16 in.) sheet: 7.7 × 5.1 cm (3 1/16 × 2 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of W.G. Russell Allen
Accession Number
1941.1.117
Art Historical Context
Albrecht Altdorfer's *The Nativity* (c. 1513) captures the sacred moment of Christ's birth in a diminutive woodcut, measuring just 7.2 × 4.9 cm on laid. A leading figure of the German Renaissance and the Danube School Altdorfer blended intricate landscapes with religious themes, infusing biblical scenes with a sense of European naturalism and atmospheric depth. Created during the early 16th century, printmaking revolutionized the spread of devotional imagery, this work reflects the era's growing demand for affordable, portable art for personal piety amid the Reformation's stirrings. Woodcuts ...
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...