Artwork Page for The Circumcision

Details / Information for The Circumcision

Series Title: The Life of the Virgin

The Circumcision

c. 1504–1505

Albrecht Dürer

(German, 1471–1528)
View all records in artwork set
Culture
Germany, early 16th Century
Medium
woodcut
Credit Line
Dudley P. Allen Fund 1959.99.11
Catalogue raisonné
Meder 198 b
Public Domain
You can copy, modify, and distribute this work, all without asking permission. Learn more about CMA's Open Access Initiative.
Location
Not on view
Print

Description

These eight woodcuts (1959.99.8-15) progress from Gabriel’s announcement to Mary that she would bear the Son of God, to the events of her early motherhood and beyond. This included the joy of sharing her pregnancy with her cousin Elizabeth, Jesus’s birth, and the subsequent arrival of the magi. After Jesus’s circumcision and presentation at the temple the Holy Family fled to Egypt to avoid Herod and stayed there for several years. The seemingly out of place last scene shows a glimpse of their daily life in Egypt as Joseph continues his carpentry and Mary spins wool. The Holy Family is surrounded by angels and helpful putti and are blessed by God the Father and the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove overhead.
A vertically oriented print in dense black-inked fine lines depicts people with light skin tones gathering around the infant Christ in a vaulted interior. On the left, a man stands holding a tall, twisted candle. To the right, a hooded woman gazes toward the central group. Behind them, an ornate screen with curving vine patterns rises before an arched doorway. Fine cross-hatching and hatched lines create deep shadows throughout the scene.

The Circumcision

c. 1504–1505

Albrecht Dürer

(German, 1471–1528)
Germany, early 16th Century

See Also

Visually Similar by AI

Contact Us

The information about this object, including provenance, may not be currently accurate. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please fill out the appropriate request form linked below:

Update or Correct Artwork Information

Imagery or Rights for Non-Open-Access Artworks

Report a Website Issue

Further Questions About This Artwork