Nativity of the Virgin
1504-1505
Albrecht Dürer turns a holy moment into a bustling, chaotic household scene in this woodcut from his 'Life of the Virgin' series. Instead of a serene, glowing birth, we see a busy nursery where midwives are scrubbing, feeding, and wrapping the newborn Mary, while her mother, St. Anne, rests in a curtained bed in the background. Look closely at the top—an angel floats on a cloud, seemingly supervising the domestic frenzy. Dürer signed this with his famous 'AD' monogram at the bottom, a brand so powerful it was widely copied by forgers during his lifetime!
- Technique
- Woodcut
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