Virgin and Child with Saint Anne

About this artwork

This oil on linden, created in probably 1519, represents significant artistic achievement by Albrecht Dürer, a German artist. The piece demonstrates the technical capabilities and aesthetic conventions of German art during this historical period. Working in oil on linden, the artist employed materials and techniques characteristic of the era, creating visual effects that convey both subject matter and artistic vision. Museum collections preserve such works to ensure continued study and appreciat...

Art Historical Context

Albrecht Dürer, a master of the Northern Renaissance, crafted *Virgin and Child with Saint* around 1519, capturing a tender moment in Christian iconography. This oil on linden wood panel the Virgin Mary holding the Christ Child, with Saint Anne—Mary's mother—gazing lovingly nearby, a popular theme in late medieval and Renaissance devotion. Dürer's precise rendering reflects his innovative fusion of German meticulousness with Italian Renaissance humanism, honed during his travels to Venice and Bologna. The choice of linden wood, a lightweight and smooth Northern European panel, allowed Dürer to achieve luminous glazes and intricate details typical of early oil techniques. At 23⅝ × 19⅝ inches, the intimate scale suited private prayer or altarpieces, emphasizing spiritual intimacy amid the early 16th-century Holy Roman Empire's artistic ferment. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art through the Bequest of Benjamin Altman in 1913, this work exemplifies Dürer's technical prowess and enduring legacy. It invites visitors to ponder the era's blend of faith, humanism, and artistry, preserved for generations of contemplation.

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 ...