Who painted The Virgin with the Swaddled Child?

The Virgin with the Swaddled Child was painted by Albrecht Dürer in 1520.

Where can I see The Virgin with the Swaddled Child?

The Virgin with the Swaddled Child is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is The Virgin with the Swaddled Child?

The Virgin with the Swaddled Child is associated with Northern Renaissance.

Can I buy a print of The Virgin with the Swaddled Child?

Museum-quality prints of The Virgin with the Swaddled Child are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

The Virgin with the Swaddled Child

Albrecht Dürer , 1520

The Virgin with the Swaddled Child is an ink print by the Northern Renaissance artist Albrecht Dürer. It dates from 1520 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

Albrecht Dürer’s engraving titled *The Virgin with the Swaddled Child* dates from 1520. Executed on laid paper, the work is a small‑scale religious print that presents the Virgin Mary cradling the infant Jesus. The composition is deliberately simple, with the figures isolated against an unadorned background, emphasizing their intimate interaction.

Subject & Meaning

The image portrays Mary in a modest robe, her hands supporting the newborn who is tightly wrapped in swaddling cloth. The tender pose reflects themes of maternal devotion and the incarnation, common in early sixteenth‑century devotional art. The calm expression on Mary’s face conveys a sense of serene acceptance of her role in the Christian narrative.

Technique & Style

Dürer achieved the delicate modeling of flesh and fabric through fine cross‑hatching, a method of intersecting lines that builds subtle tonal gradations. The meticulous incisions render the folds of the robe and the soft shadows on the child’s skin, while the plain backdrop allows the intricate line work to dominate the visual field.

Context

Created during the later period of Dürer’s career, the print reflects the artist’s continued interest in merging Northern precision with Italianate compositional balance. Religious prints such as this were widely circulated, serving both as objects of personal contemplation and as demonstrations of Dürer’s technical mastery in the medium of engraving.