1513
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
The Adoration of the Magi is a 1513 ink by Albrecht Altdorfer, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This woodcut shows a night scene with a bright star lighting up a group of people. They’re gathered around a building, some kneeling, others standing with hands clasped. The sky is packed with crisscrossing lines, and the trees look twisted, almost like they’re reaching upward. The star above the building is the brightest part—it stands out against the dark, tangled background. The people seem to be worshipping or paying respect, but their faces are simple shapes, not detailed. This is a *woodcut*, a printmaking technique where the artist carves into wood and presses ink onto paper.
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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