Artwork
The Nativity
The Nativity is a print by the Renaissance artist Albrecht Dürer. It dates from 1502 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. The work consists of a series of eight woodcut prints created in 1959, numbered 8–15 in the artist’s catalogue.
About this work
Overview
The work consists of a series of eight woodcut prints created in 1959, numbered 8–15 in the artist’s catalogue. Together they trace the biblical narrative from the angelic announcement to Mary through the early events of Jesus’s life, culminating in a domestic scene of the Holy Family’s exile in Egypt. The sequence presents a continuous visual story rather than isolated images.
Subject & Meaning
The first prints depict the Annunciation, followed by Mary’s sharing of the news with her cousin Elizabeth, the birth of Jesus, and the visit of the Magi. Subsequent images show the circumcision and temple presentation, then the flight to Egypt to escape Herod’s decree. The final cut offers a glimpse of daily life abroad, with Joseph at his carpentry bench and Mary spinning wool.
Technique & Style
A dove representing the Holy Spirit hovers above, while God the Father appears in a benediction, reinforcing the theological framework through visual hierarchy.
Executed as woodcuts, the images rely on fine line work and careful carving to render intricate details within each panel. The artist employs a dense network of figures—angels, putti, and divine symbols—arranged around the central holy figures. A dove representing the Holy Spirit hovers above, while God the Father appears in a benediction, reinforcing the theological framework through visual hierarchy.
Context
Produced in the late 1950s, the series reflects a mid‑century revival of traditional printmaking techniques, echoing the legacy of early masters such as Albrecht Dürer. The choice of woodcut aligns the work with a lineage of religious narrative prints that were historically used for devotional purposes and public instruction.
Artist & collection
Artist
Albrecht Dürer spent his life in Nuremberg, a busy German city where artists traded prints like currency.
![Madonna and Child [obverse], by Albrecht Dürer](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/albrecht-durer--madonna-and-child-obverse--d7b8ebf05d22ebe5-w320.webp)
![Lot and His Daughters [reverse], by Albrecht Dürer](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/albrecht-durer--lot-and-his-daughters-reverse--b4ebf9b282faa17a-w320.webp)
