The Transfiguration

c. 1513

Albrecht Altdorfer

Associated Names
Albrecht Altdorfer

Artist, German, 1480 or before - 1538

This is a drawing of a figure standing on a mound, surrounded by light and several individuals below. The central figure appears illuminated, with beams of light emanating from behind. The expressions and gestures of the individuals below suggest astonishment or reverence as they look upward towards the glowing figure. The rendering is done in fine lines with high contrast, highlighting the dramatic light and shadow. The setting appears to be a rocky landscape, with the focus on the dynamic interaction of light, expression, and movement.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    woodcut on laid paper

  • Credit Line

    Gift of W.G. Russell Allen

  • Dimensions

    block: 7.2 × 4.8 cm (2 13/16 × 1 7/8 in.)
    sheet: 7.8 × 5.3 cm (3 1/16 × 2 1/16 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1941.1.123

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    New Hollstein, no. w. 15

  • 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. 40.

1996

  • The New Hollstein German Engravings, Etchings and Woodcuts, 1400-1700. (Albrecht Aldorfer, Ursula Mielke, author). Rotterdam: Sound & Vision Interactive, 1996-, no. w. 15.

Wikidata ID

Q64952425

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