The Circumcision

c. 1513

Albrecht Altdorfer

Associated Names
Albrecht Altdorfer

Artist, German, 1480 or before - 1538

This is a drawing depicting figures engaged in a ceremony or gathering under a radiant, celestial object. The image shows characters in elaborate, medieval-like garments conversing in the lower half, while a large, luminous circular form with beams emanating outward captures their attention. The intricate details of the figures' attire and the patterned floor contribute to the scene. The play of light and texture emphasizes the scene's atmosphere.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    woodcut on laid paper

  • Credit Line

    Rosenwald Collection

  • Dimensions

    sheet (trimmed to block): 7.2 × 4.8 cm (2 13/16 × 1 7/8 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1943.3.336

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    New Hollstein, no. w. 11

  • Series Title

    The Fall and Redemption of Man

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. 36.

1996

  • The New Hollstein German Engravings, Etchings and Woodcuts, 1400-1700. (Albrecht Aldorfer, Ursula Mielke, author). Rotterdam: Sound & Vision Interactive, 1996-, no. w. 11.

Wikidata ID

Q64952465

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