The Circumcision

c. 1513

Albrecht Altdorfer

Associated Names
Albrecht Altdorfer

Artist, German, 1480 or before - 1538

This is an image showing a group of figures gathered beneath a vaulted ceiling. The scene is filled with detailed textures in monochrome. The figures are dressed in elaborate robes, engaged in a scene of potential reverence or ritual within a cavernous space. The ceiling has a circular motif from which lines radiate outward, hinting at a significant focal point. Strong lines and cross-hatching techniques create visual depth in the image, emphasizing the expressions of the figures and the ornate architecture. The composition and detail reflect techniques used by Renaissance artists.

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: 7.5 × 5.1 cm (2 15/16 × 2 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1941.1.119

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    New Hollstein, no. w. 11

  • 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. 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

Q64952420

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