Artwork
The Virgin with the Blessing Child in a Landscape
The Virgin with the Blessing Child in a Landscape is an ink print by the Renaissance artist Albrecht Altdorfer. It dates from 1515 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
The Virgin with the Blessing Child in a Landscape is an engraving on laid paper created by Albrecht Altdorfer around 1515. It exemplifies the artist's skill in combining religious subjects with detailed landscapes.
Subject & Meaning
The engraving depicts the Virgin Mary and the Christ Child in a serene natural setting, surrounded by trees, bushes, and flowers, with a village and mountains in the background. The calm expression of the Virgin and the child's gesture toward her convey a sense of tender interaction.
Technique & Style
The print showcases Altdorfer's mastery of engraving, using cross-hatching to create intricate shadows and textures. The technique involves etching tiny lines into a metal plate to achieve detailed renderings of the scene, characteristic of the Nuremberg Little Masters.
Context
As a leading figure of the Danube School, Altdorfer frequently integrated religious scenes into expressive landscapes, and was among the early artists to treat landscape as a subject in its own right.
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…
