The Revenge of the Sorcerer Virgil

Art Historical Context

Albrecht Altdorfer a pioneering figure of the German Renaissance and leader of the Danube School, *The Revenge of the Sorcer Virgil*, a delicate engraving capturing a dramatic moment from medieval legend. The Roman poet Virgil, mythologized as a powerful sorcerer, enacts his revenge after being humiliated—lowered in a basket from a tower by an emperor's daughter. This print (just 3 1/16 × 1 7/8 inches) showcases muscular male nudes in dynamic poses, emphasizing themes of power, trickery, and retribution popular in 16th-century folklore. Altdorfer's mastery of engraving—a meticulous intaglio technique where lines are incised into a metal plate—allowed for intricate details and tonal depth in such a compact format. As a printmaker, he blended Northern Renaissance precision with fantastical narratives, often drawing from classical antiquity reimagined through Gothic storytelling. This work reflects the era's fascination with magic and the supernatural, bridging pagan myths and Christian moral tales. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department (gift of Felix M. Warburg, 1920), it invites visitors to marvel at how Altdorfer transformed a whisper of a story into a vivid, intimate scene. Perfect for contemplating the artistry of the minuscule!

About the Artist

Albrecht Altdorfer · 1475–1538

Albrecht Altdorfer (c. 1480–1538) was a German painter, printmaker, and draftsman who stands as one of the founders of landscape painting as an independent genre. Born in Regensburg or nearby Altdorf, he learned art from his father Ulrich, a painter and miniaturist. Altdorfer spent most of his life in Regensburg, becoming a citizen in 1505 and later serving as the city's official architect and a m...