1504
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Life of the Virgin: Joachim and Anna Embracing under the Golden Gate is a 1504 by Albrecht Dürer, a Renaissance work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
This black-and-white scene shows two older people hugging at a doorway, framed by an ornate arch. Around them, a few other figures stand or crouch, watching. The background has a small town with a castle and a cloudy sky. Everyone is dressed in simple, loose robes or tunics. Notice how the artist used shading to make the figures look three-dimensional, even though it’s a drawing. The light hits their faces and clothes, making some parts darker than others. Try looking up chiaroscuro to see how this technique works in other art.
Albrecht Dürer spent his life in Nuremberg, a busy German city where artists traded prints like currency.
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