Altarpiece with the Beautiful Virgin of Regensburg and Saints Christopher, Mary Magdalene, Florian, and Catherine Standing in Niches, with God the Father Above
1520
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1520
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Altarpiece with the Beautiful Virgin of Regensburg and Saints Christopher, Mary Magdalene, Florian, and Catherine Standing in Niches, with God the Father Above is a 1520 ink by Albrecht Altdorfer, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This print shows a grand altar scene framed like a building. In the center, a robed woman holds a small child, surrounded by angels and flowers. Around her, four saints stand in arched niches, each holding symbols—one has a staff, another a book, and a third a sword. The top of the frame has a half-circle shape with a bearded figure inside, like a throne. The whole design looks carved, with lots of swirls and geometric patterns filling the space. This is a woodcut—a printmaking technique where artists carve images into wood.
