Who painted The Holy Kinship?

The Holy Kinship was painted by Albrecht Altdorfer in 1520.

Where can I see The Holy Kinship?

The Holy Kinship is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is The Holy Kinship?

The Holy Kinship is associated with Renaissance.

Artwork

The Holy Kinship

Albrecht Altdorfer , 1520

The Holy Kinship is an ink print by the Renaissance artist Albrecht Altdorfer. It dates from 1520 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

Albrecht Altdorfer’s *The Holy Kinship* is a woodcut print executed on laid paper in 1520. The work presents a densely populated scene rendered in black and white, with numerous figures gathered around a central throne and a detailed urban backdrop featuring towers and a bridge.

Subject & Meaning

The composition depicts the extended family of the Virgin Mary, a theme known as the Holy Kinship, showing saints, relatives and attendants in a devotional gathering. The crowded arrangement emphasizes the communal aspect of the sacred lineage.

Technique & Style

Altdorfer employs fine, incisive lines characteristic of early 16th‑century woodcuts, delineating folds in garments, architectural elements and intricate background details. The print’s busy surface and rhythmic line work reflect the precision typical of the Nuremberg Little Masters.

History & Provenance

Created during Altdorfer’s mature period in Regensburg, the print aligns with his reputation as a leading figure of the Danube School, a movement noted for integrating expressive landscapes into religious narratives.

Context

The Danube School, to which Altdorfer belonged, was among the first to treat landscape as an autonomous element within composition. Although *The Holy Kinship* focuses on a narrative scene, its background cityscape demonstrates this emerging interest in natural and built environments.

Artist & collection

Artist

Albrecht Altdorfer

Albrecht Altdorfer (c. 1480 – 12 February 1538) was a German painter, engraver and architect of the Renaissance working in Regensburg. Along with Lucas Cranach the Elder and Wolf Huber he is regarded to be the main…