The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of October 7, 2026

A vertically oriented woodcut in dense black-inked fine lines depicts people with light skin tones gathering in a ruined building. On the right, a woman kneels before a baby in a basket, surrounded by tiny winged figures. On the left, a man stands leaning on a staff. Behind the woman, two more men enter a doorway. In the upper left, four winged child figures fly, while a radiant star shines from the upper right.

Life of the Virgin: The Nativity

1504–1505

Albrecht Dürer

(German, 1471–1528)
Germany, early 16th Century
woodcut
Gift of The Print Club of Cleveland 1922.293
Catalogue raisonné: Meder 197
Location: Not on view

Description

This print depicting Christ’s birth belongs to one of the numerous print series that Albrecht Dürer produced on religious themes. Here, the artist focused on everyday details of the Virgin Mary’s life story to emphasize her humanity. Dürer revolutionized the technique of woodcut with such scenes, which told biblical stories with enough descriptive detail and skillful narrative staging to minimize the need for text. The textures, fine details, and perspectival space of his woodcuts surpassed any examples of the medium before him.
  • Salsbury, Britany. “A Lasting Impression: To mark the Print Club of Cleveland's centennial, a new exhibition highlights some of the group's major donations.” Cleveland Art: Cleveland Museum of Art Members Magazine 59, no. 2 (March/April 2019): 34-35. Reproduced: P. 34; Mentioned: P. 35 archive.org
  • A Lasting Impression: Gifts of the Print Club of Cleveland. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (May 5-September 22, 2019).
    Exhibition of the Month: A Christmas Story - A Picture Sequence. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (December 1-31, 1943).
    16th Century German Woodcuts. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (January 24-February 26, 1939).
    Seasonal Prints from the Museum Collection. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (December 9, 1937-February 27, 1938).
  • {{cite web|title=Life of the Virgin: The Nativity|url=false|author=Albrecht Dürer|year=1504–1505|access-date=07 October 2026|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1922.293