1504
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Dominant colour
The Betrothal of the Virgin is a 1504 by Albrecht Dürer, a Renaissance work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
The painting shows a scene of the Virgin Mary's betrothal. It's an intimate moment with few people around. The artist included an angel to highlight the event's religious significance. The painting is interesting because it's part of a series of works depicting Mary's life. Dürer created woodcuts showing her birth and other important events. To learn more, look up the work of artist Albrecht Dürer.
Dürer devoted three woodcuts (1959.99.5-7) to the significant events in Mary’s youth prior to her sacred calling. His depiction of her birth recalls a contemporary birthing scene, complete with midwives, female friends, and relatives. Anna rests from her efforts in the background while an attendant bathes the infant Mary in the immediate right foreground. The religious significance of the event is made known by the presence of an angel above. In the subsequent prints Mary is presented several years later at the temple (running up the stairs), followed by her betrothal to an older widowed man…
Read the full account in the museum source.
Albrecht Dürer spent his life in Nuremberg, a busy German city where artists traded prints like currency.
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