The Visitation

c. 1513

Albrecht Altdorfer

Associated Names
Albrecht Altdorfer

Artist, German, 1480 or before - 1538

The image consists of intricate lines and shapes forming various figures and elements. Two figures are depicted in the center, draped in flowing robes that suggest movement. Their rounded hoods resemble those of medieval travelers. The figures appear to be embracing or engaging with each other amid a scene that includes clouds with smooth, curved lines floating overhead and foliage with densely packed lines to the right. In the background, an elderly figure stands with a long beard and a walking stick. The scenery in the backdrop evokes a medieval town with pointed rooftops, creating a sense of a distant and mystical setting.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    woodcut on laid paper

  • Credit Line

    Gift of W.G. Russell Allen

  • Dimensions

    block: 7.1 × 4.9 cm (2 13/16 × 1 15/16 in.)
    sheet: 7.5 × 5.1 cm (2 15/16 × 2 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1941.1.116

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    New Hollstein, no. w. 8

  • Series Title

    The Fall and Redemption of Man

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Albertina, Vienna (duplicate, Lugt 5g). W.G. Russell Allen [1882-1955], Boston; gift to the NGA, 1941.

Associated Names

Bibliography

1963

  • Winzinger, Franz. Albrecht Altdorfer, Graphik: Holzschnitte, Kupferstiche, Radierungen. Munich: R.Piper and Co., 1963, no. 33.

1996

  • The New Hollstein German Engravings, Etchings and Woodcuts, 1400-1700. (Albrecht Aldorfer, Ursula Mielke, author). Rotterdam: Sound & Vision Interactive, 1996-, no. w. 8.

Wikidata ID

Q64952416

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