The Virgin and Child with a Monkey
c. 1498
In this masterful engraving, Albrecht Dürer places the Virgin Mary and baby Jesus in a serene, detailed landscape, but adds a surprising twist: a chained monkey lurking in the foreground. While Mary looks serene and the infant plays with a bird, the monkey represents the taming of human sin and lust through Christ's birth. Dürer, a true rockstar of the Northern Renaissance, signed this piece with his famous 'AD' monogram at the bottom, proving that even religious art could have a bit of hidden symbolism and edge.
- Technique
- Engraving
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