The Virgin Surrounded by Many Angels
1518
Medium
Woodcut
Dimensions
sheet: 11 15/16 x 8 5/8 in. (30.3 x 21.9 cm) block: 11 11/16 x 8 5/16 in. (29.7 x 21.1 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The George Khuner Collection, Gift of Mrs. George Khuner, 1975
Accession Number
1975.653.1
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
Art Historical Context
Albrecht Dürer’s 1518 woodcut *The Virgin Surrounded by Many Angels* presents the Madonna and Child encircled by a host of celestial figures, rendered with remarkable precision on a modest sheet measuring just under 12 by 9 inches. As one of the Northern Renaissance’s most influential artists, Dürer elevated the woodcut from a craft medium into a sophisticated art form capable of conveying intricate detail and emotional depth. The print’s crisp lines and balanced composition reflect his masterful command of the technique, in which he carved away the negative space from a wooden block to leave ...
About the Artist
Albrecht Dürer · 1471–1528
Albrecht Dürer (1471–1528) stands as the preeminent figure of the Northern Renaissance and arguably the most influential artist in the history of printmaking. Born in Nuremberg on May 21, 1471, and dying in the same city on April 6, 1528, Dürer revolutionized the status of the artist in Northern Europe, transforming printmaking from a commercial craft into an independent fine art and establishing ...