Albrecht Dürer, The Circumcision of Christ (The Life of the Virgin), c.1505 |
|
| Artist: | Albrecht Dürer (1471 - 1528) |
|---|---|
| Title: | The Circumcision of Christ (The Life of the Virgin), c.1505 |
| Reference: | B. 86; M. 198 |
| Medium: | Woodcut |
| Image Size: | 11 3/4 in x 8 5/16 in (29.8 cm x 21.1 cm) |
| Sheet Size: | 12 in x 8 1/2 in (30.5 cm x 21.6 cm) |
| Framed Size: | approx. 29 3/4 in x 26 in (75.6 cm x 66 cm) |
| Edition: | A Meder (h) of (h), after the 1511 Latin text edition, dating this work to c. 1600 |
| Signature: | This work is monogrammed by Albrecht Dürer (Nuremburg, 1471 - Nuremburg, 1528) in the woodblock ‘AD’ on a slate in the lower right of the image. |
| Condition: | This work is generally in good condition. This vintage 16th century impression on a fine laid paper mounted on board has minor creases and stains due to age and wear characteristic to works of this age not affecting the overall image. |
| ID # | W-5479 |
This is a beautifully composed scene, with all of the characters amassed together around a momentous event. The room is bustling with movement and excitement as all attention is focused on the baby Jesus. It is fantastically detailed and incredibly shaded so as to connote the depth of field that Dürer continuously sought in this series of woodcuts.
According to W. Strauss (1980), “the action is shifted toward the right, strikingly counter-balanced by the single figure of a man on the left, bearing a great, tall, braided candle. He casts a backward glance, as he strides forward, symbolizing the coming of the new creed. The Virgin looks dejected – it is the first of her Seven Sorrows – while St. Joseph – with the same remarkable profile as in the preceding and the following sheets that link them – seeks to calm her” (p. 322)
Created in c. 1505, this woodcut monogrammed by Albrecht Dürer (Nuremburg, 1471 - Nuremburg, 1528) in the woodblock ‘AD’ on a slate in the lower right of the image is a Meder (h) of (h), after the 1511 Latin text edition, dating this work to c. 1600.
Provenance:
The Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia, PA
Catalogue Raisonné & COA:
Albrecht Dürer The Circumcision of Christ (The Life of the Virgin), c. 1505 is fully documented and referenced in the below catalogue raisonnés and texts (copies will be enclosed as added documentation with the invoices accompanying the final sale of the work):
1. Bartsch. The Illustrated Bartsch Vol. 10. Edited by Walter L. Strauss. New York: Abaris Books, 1981.Listed and illustrated as catalogue raisonné no. 86.
2. Kurth, W. Dr. The Complete Woodcuts of Albrecht Dürer. New York: Dover Publications, Inc.,1963. Listed and illustrated as catalogue raisonné no. 184.
3. Meder, J. Dürer-Katalog. Wien: Verlag Gilhoffer & Ranschburg, 1932. Listed and illustrated as catalogue raisonné no. 198.
4. Pawlak, M. Albrecht Dürer: 1471 bis 1528, Das gesamte Graphische Werk, Druckgraphik, Band II. München, Verlag Rogner & Bernhard GMBH. Listed and illustrated as plate no. 1570.
5. Scheller, R. W. and Boon, K. G. The Graphic Art of Albrecht Dürer, Hans Dürer and the Dürer School. Amsterdam: Vengendt & Co, 1971.Listed and illustrated as catalogue raisonné no. 198.
6. Schoch, R. Albrecht Dürer: Das druckgraphische Werk, Band II Holzschnitte und Holzschnittfolgen. München: Prestel Verlag, 2002. Listed and illustrated as catalogue raisonné no. 176.
7. Strauss, W. L. Albrecht Dürer, Woodcuts and Wood Blocks. New York: Abaris Books, 1980. Listed and illustrated as catalogue raisonné no. 98.
8. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany this work.
ABOUT THE FRAMING:
Albrecht Dürer The Circumcision of Christ (The Life of the Virgin), c. 1505 is framed to museum-grade, conservation standards, presented in a complementary moulding and finished with linen-wrapped mats and optical grade Plexiglas.
