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Virgin and Child Seated by a Tree by Albrecht Dürer

Virgin and Child Seated by a Tree

Albrecht Dürer · 1513

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“Stop to appreciate Albrecht Dürer's exquisite engraving, a tender depiction of the Virgin and Child, showcasing his unparalleled skill in creating texture and depth on a small scale.”

ABOUT THIS WORK

In this small but intricate engraving, the Virgin Mary sits peacefully beneath a sprawling tree, holding the Christ Child on her lap. Her gaze is directed downward, a tender expression on her face, while the infant Jesus reaches out towards a small bird, a common symbol of the soul. The dense foliage of the tree, meticulously rendered, creates a natural canopy, suggesting a moment of quiet contemplation in a pastoral setting. Dürer’s mastery of the engraving medium is evident in the delicate interplay of light and shadow, which gives volume to the figures and depth to the landscape. This intimate scene, created in 1513, reflects the enduring devotional themes popular in the German Renaissance, inviting viewers to share in the Virgin's maternal warmth and the innocence of childhood.

DETAILS
Artist
Albrecht Dürer
Date
1513
Medium
Engraving
Location
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Dimensions
Sheet: 4 9/16 × 2 15/16 in. (11.6 × 7.5 cm)
ART MOVEMENTS
Northern Renaissance
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What to Notice

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Virgin and Child Seated by a Tree

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01

Mother's lowered gaze

Mary's heavy-lidded eyes look down as her cheek rests close to the child's head. The quiet tenderness feels more like a real mother than a distant holy icon.

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02

The wary Christ child

The chubby child turns his head away from Mary's cheek and stares out with wide, uneasy eyes. His wary look gives the tender embrace a slightly unsettled note.

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03

Dürer's monogram and date

At the top, the interlocked A and D sits under the date 1513. Dürer signed his prints like a trademark, so buyers knew whose hand made it.

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04

Folded drapery

Mary's lap and skirt fall in sharp, crumpled folds. Dense crosshatching builds deep shadows while bare paper stays bright on the ridges, so the cloth looks heavy.

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05

Wattle fence and saplings

On the left, a lashed wooden fence and thin bare shoots stand before a faint far shore. This everyday bit of landscape places the sacred pair in a humble, rural setting.

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THE ARTIST

Albrecht Dürer

1471–1528 · Duchy of Bavaria

Renaissance master who revolutionized printmaking across Europe before turning 30.

Read Dürer’s full story
MORE FROM THIS ARTIST

Further Works by Dürer

1 / 2
Portrait of a Woman, Said to Be Caritas Pirckheimer (1467–1532) Portrait of a Woman, Said to Be Caritas Pirckheimer (1467–1532) The Metropolitan Museum of Art Saint Jerome in His Study Saint Jerome in His Study 1521 · National Museum of Ancient Art The Lamentation The Lamentation 1477 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art The Entombment The Entombment 1485 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art Self-portrait, Study of a Hand and a Pillow (recto); Six Studies of Pillows (verso) Self-portrait, Study of a Hand and a Pillow (recto); Six Studies of Pillows (verso) 1493 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art Fortuna in a Niche Fortuna in a Niche 1498 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art Embroidery Pattern with Seven Six-pointed Stars and Four Corner Pieces Embroidery Pattern with Seven Six-pointed Stars and Four Corner Pieces 1500 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art The Virgin Appearing to Saint John, Frontispiece to the Apocalypse The Virgin Appearing to Saint John, Frontispiece to the Apocalypse 1511 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
EXPLORE THE MOVEMENT

More from Northern Renaissance

See the movement →
Christ Child with a Walking Frame Christ Child with a Walking Frame Bosch · 1480 · Kunsthistorisches Museum The Crucifixion; The Last Judgment The Crucifixion; The Last Judgment van Eyck · 1440 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
KEEP EXPLORING

More works to explore

Beyond Dürer and Northern Renaissance: works from the same years.

The Adoration of the Kings Same era · 1490s–1520s The Adoration of the Kings Hieronymus Bosch · 1514 · National Trust Drunkenness of Noah Same era · 1490s–1520s Drunkenness of Noah Michelangelo · 1509 · Sistine Chapel Jacopo Pesaro, Bishop of Paphos, being presented by Pope Alexander VI to Saint Peter Same era · 1490s–1520s Jacopo Pesaro, Bishop of Paphos, being presented by Pope Alexander VI to Saint Peter Titian · 1504 · Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp Mona Lisa Same era · 1490s–1520s Mona Lisa Leonardo da Vinci · 1503 · Department of Paintings of the Louvre Sistine Madonna (Madonna di San Sisto) Same era · 1490s–1520s Sistine Madonna (Madonna di San Sisto) Raphael (Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino) · 1512 The Sibyl and a Child Bearing a Torch Same era · 1490s–1520s The Sibyl and a Child Bearing a Torch Artist Unknown - The Mercat Cross, Aberdeen · 1520 · Art Institute of Chicago The Rich Man Playing Violin on a Jaw Bone Same era · 1490s–1520s The Rich Man Playing Violin on a Jaw Bone Pieter Bruegel the Elder · 1528 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
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