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

• 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).