The Virgin with the Swaddled Child
1520
Medium
Engraving
Dimensions
Sheet: 5 1/2 × 3 3/4 in. (14 × 9.5 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Henry Walters, 1917
Accession Number
17.37.115
Tags
Art Historical Context
Albrecht Dürer's *The Virgin with the Swaddled Child* (1520) is a exquisite engraving that captures the tender intimacy of the Madonna cradling the infant Jesus, a beloved theme in Christian devotional art. Created late in the master's career, this small print—measuring just 5½ × 3¾ inches—exemplifies Dürer's mastery of the Northern Renaissance, where he blended meticulous German precision with Italian Renaissance ideals of harmony and proportion. As one of the first artists to elevate printmaking to fine art, Dürer produced engravings that rivaled paintings in detail and emotional depth, maki...
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 ...