Artwork
The Virgin and Child on a Crescent
The Virgin and Child on a Crescent is an ink print by the Renaissance artist Albrecht Altdorfer. It dates from 1513 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
The Virgin and Child on a Crescent is a woodcut on laid paper created by Albrecht Altdorfer around 1513. It exemplifies the artist's work as a prominent figure in the Danube School, a group known for integrating landscape into their compositions.
Subject & Meaning
The print depicts the Virgin Mary holding the Christ child, surrounded by angels playing instruments or holding symbolic objects. The Virgin stands on a crescent moon, a traditional representation of her purity, with a haloed figure above her head.
Technique & Style
Altdorfer employed sharp lines and intricate patterns to convey texture and detail, characteristic of woodcut technique during this period. The use of texture is evident in the folds of the robes and the swirling clouds in the background.
Context
The work reflects the emerging interest in landscape as an independent subject in early 16th-century art, a trend in which Altdorfer was a significant participant.
Artist & collection
Artist
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…
The Virgin and Child on a Crescent
The Virgin and Child on a Crescent with a Diadem
The Virgin with the Child on the Crescent
The Virgin and Child on a Crescent with a Sceptre and a Starry Crown
The Virgin and Child on a Crescent with a Starry Crown
The Virgin and Child on the Crescent
The Virgin on the Crescent
The Virgin on the Crescent