1520
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
The Virgin Seeking Jesus in the Temple is a 1520 ink by Albrecht Altdorfer, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This black-and-white print shows a woman kneeling in a room with stone floors. She’s reaching out toward a pillar, looking worried. Behind her, two other figures stand near a window—one holds a baby, the other leans on a ledge. The tiny details matter here. Notice the way the lines create shadows and texture, like the folds in the woman’s dress or the bricks on the wall. This isn’t paint—it’s carved into metal. Want to see how this works? Look up engraving.
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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