Artwork
The Visitation
The Visitation is an ink print by the Northern Renaissance artist Albrecht Dürer. It dates from 1504 and is held in the collection of the Honolulu Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
The Visitation is a woodcut created by Albrecht Dürer in 1503, as part of a series on the Life of the Virgin.
Subject & Meaning
The print depicts the biblical episode of the Visitation, where Mary, pregnant with Jesus, visits her older cousin Elisabeth, who is also expecting a child, as described in Luke 1:39–56.
Technique & Style
The woodcut features two women in a tender greeting, with Mary's simplicity contrasted against Elisabeth's more pronounced pregnancy. Dürer's use of light and shadow is characteristic of his work in the medium.
Context
This print was part of a series on the life of Mary, produced using a woodcut technique that allowed for affordable printing and widespread distribution, making it accessible for individuals to display in their homes.
Artist & collection
Artist
Albrecht Dürer spent his life in Nuremberg, a busy German city where artists traded prints like currency.
![Madonna and Child [obverse], by Albrecht Dürer](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/albrecht-durer--madonna-and-child-obverse--d7b8ebf05d22ebe5-w320.webp)
![Lot and His Daughters [reverse], by Albrecht Dürer](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/albrecht-durer--lot-and-his-daughters-reverse--b4ebf9b282faa17a-w320.webp)
The Visitation
Life of the Virgin: The Visitation
The Holy Family with the Three Hares
Holy Family with the Three Hares
The Angel with the Key to the Bottomless Pit
Christ Taking Leave from His Mother
The Betrothal of the Virgin
Saint Roch and Saint Sebastian
Birth of Adonis
Christ and the Apostles and the Holy Women
Solomon Worshipping False Gods
Life of the Virgin: Adoration of the Virgin and Child by Saints and Angels