Project Description
The Life of the Virgin represents the apex of the German artist Albrecht Dürer’s career. Originally published as a book, the print shown here is a part of a collection of twenty that depict the life of the virgin. Dürer completed this series of prints after a tour of Italy, where he was influenced by the late renaissance work of his contemporaries. This series of prints condenses Dürer’s artistic talent by demonstrating his mastery of complex technique in seemingly simple prints.The effect of radiant light created through the finely carved lines gives the image a glorious, yet unassuming appearance. In this print, Mary, Jesus, and the crescent are seen in perfect harmony. Using parallel hatching Durer creates a balanced, but striking image. Parallel hatching is the process of carving lines out of wood parallel with the direction of growth, to create a delicate arrangement.
-Charla Hamilton, Class of 2015