Artwork

The Virgin and Child Surrounded by Saints and Angels

The Virgin and Child Surrounded by Saints and Angels, by Albrecht Dürer, 1501
The Virgin and Child Surrounded by Saints and Angels, by Albrecht Dürer, 1501

The Virgin and Child Surrounded by Saints and Angels is a print by the Renaissance artist Albrecht Dürer. It dates from 1501 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. Dürer depicted the scene of the Virgin’s death (1959.

About this work

Overview

Three days later they witnessed Mary’s bodily assumption into paradise where she was crowned the Queen of Heaven (1959.

Dürer depicted the scene of the Virgin’s death (1959.99.18) as an intimate one, with the apostles keeping vigil around her deathbed. Three days later they witnessed Mary’s bodily assumption into paradise where she was crowned the Queen of Heaven (1959.99.19). The final print (1959.99.20), which some believe was conceived independently from the series because it falls outside of the typical narrative, shows the Virgin in a domestic setting surrounded by several saints, angels, and putti that celebrate her life-an especially fitting way to end the series.

Artist & collection

Portrait of Albrecht Dürer

Artist

Albrecht Dürer

Albrecht Dürer spent his life in Nuremberg, a busy German city where artists traded prints like currency.

This work is in the public domain (CC0). Image source: Cleveland Museum of Art open access. Spotted an error in this record? Tell us.