1523
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Dominant colour
The Virgin with the Child and St. Anne at the Cradle is a 1523 by Albrecht Altdorfer, a Renaissance work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
This black-and-white print shows three figures gathered around a cradle. The standing woman holds a child, while the older woman bends over the cradle, reaching toward it. The third figure kneels beside them, holding a staff and looking upward. Their robes are simple, with soft folds, and the background is filled with fine, textured lines. The artist used shading to create depth, making the figures look solid and three-dimensional. Notice how the light seems to come from above, highlighting the faces and hands. Want to see more? Check out chiaroscuro to learn how artists use light and shadow like this.
Albrecht Altdorfer (c. 1480 – 12 February 1538) was a German painter, engraver and architect of the Renaissance working in Regensburg. Along with Lucas Cranach the Elder and Wolf Huber he is regarded to be the main…
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