The Virgin and Child with the Pear
- MAKER:
Artist
Albrecht Dürer ( German, 1471 - 1528 )
- DATE:
- 1511
General Description
This is one of Albrecht Dürer's most beautiful images of the Madonna and Child. The infant Christ holds his hand raised in a gesture of blessing. The pear the Virgin Mary holds in her right hand represents sweetness of soul. It was a popular symbol in Venetian Renaissance painting, which Dürer would have discovered during his travels to Venice.
Excerpt from
Carl Wuellner, DMA Label copy (1971.84) for With Black Lines Only: Engravings and Woodcuts by Albrecht Dürer, December 2003
Web Resources
- Inside Albrecht Dürer's Studio- Engraving
Watch this demonstration and explanation of the engraving process created by the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute for the exhibition, The Strange World of Albrecht Dürer (November 14, 2010- March 13, 2011).