The Virgin Sitting by a Wall
Classification
figures
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Bequest of George Campbell Cooper
Accession Number
1896-3-13
About this artwork
In the foreground, the Virgin is seated, facing left, holding the infant Jesus with an apple in his hand on her knees. A purse and a bunch of keys are suspended from the Virgin's girdle. The background is a view of a town. Behind the group at right, is a stone wall inscribed with the artist's monogram and the date "1514".
Art Historical Context
Albrecht Dürer’s *The Virgin Sitting by a Wall* captures a tender moment between the Virgin Mary and the infant Jesus, created in 1514 during height of the Northern Renaissance. As one of the most influential German artists of his era, Dürer blended precise observation with deep religious feeling, often producing intimate devotional images that brought sacred figures into everyday settings. The work’s detailed townscape in the background reflects the growing interest in realistic landscapes that characterized art of this period. In the foreground, Mary sits calmly while holding the Christ Chi...