Virgin and Child in a Church

c. 1519

Albrecht Altdorfer

Associated Names
Albrecht Altdorfer

Artist, German, 1480 or before - 1538

The image depicts a woman and a child. The woman is standing, holding the child in her arms. Her facial features are delicate, with a serene expression. Her hair is mostly covered by a headdress or elaborate covering, extending over her shoulders. The child has curly hair and is positioned against the woman's body, both surrounded by halos. The woman wears a flowing garment with intricate details and a decorative element on her chest. In her hand, she holds a small cross. The child clutches her shoulder. The scene is set in a structure resembling a church or cathedral with tall arches and windows allowing light to illuminate the figures. The background includes stone pillars and a patterned floor.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    woodcut on laid paper

  • Credit Line

    Rosenwald Collection

  • Dimensions

    block: 12.3 × 9.4 cm (4 13/16 × 3 11/16 in.)
    sheet: 12.4 × 9.6 cm (4 7/8 × 3 3/4 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1943.3.370

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    New Hollstein, no. w. 50


Artwork history & notes

Provenance

purchased by Lessing J. Rosenwald [1891-1979], Jenkintown, PA , 1929; gift to NGA, 1943.

Associated Names

Bibliography

1963

  • Winzinger, Franz. Albrecht Altdorfer, Graphik: Holzschnitte, Kupferstiche, Radierungen. Munich: R.Piper and Co., 1963, no. 88.

1996

  • The New Hollstein German Engravings, Etchings and Woodcuts, 1400-1700. (Albrecht Aldorfer, Ursula Mielke, author). Rotterdam: Sound & Vision Interactive, 1996-, no. w. 50.

Wikidata ID

Q64952504

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