Artwork
The Virgin Crowned by Two Angels above a Landscape
The Virgin Crowned by Two Angels above a Landscape is an ink print by the Northern Renaissance artist Albrecht Dürer. It dates from 1515 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:verso, center right, in graphite by a later hand: 53; verso, lower left, in graphite by a later hand: Pass 177; verso, lower left, in graphite by a later hand: C 18698
About this work
This woodcut shows the Virgin Mary wearing a crown. She floats above a green valley. Two small angels hold her cloak as she looks down.
Dürer made this in 1513. Woodcuts were his favorite way to make prints. They let many people see his art at once.
See how the background fades into soft gray. That trick is called chiaroscuro. It gives depth without color.
Find more prints by Dürer, Albrecht.
Subject & Meaning
The print portrays the Virgin Mary crowned by two angels within an idyllic landscape, a composition that blends devotional focus with naturalistic setting.
The print portrays the Virgin Mary crowned by two angels within an idyllic landscape, a composition that blends devotional focus with naturalistic setting. The celestial crown signifies her queenship and divine authority, while the angels emphasize her role as intercessor and protector. The surrounding scenery underscores the harmony between the heavenly and earthly realms, reflecting themes of redemption and divine grace central to German Renaissance spirituality.
This symbolic arrangement draws upon traditional Marian iconography, yet Dürer’s treatment integrates human tenderness with ethereal presence, inviting contemplation of sacred mystery within the mundane world.
Technique & Style
Created by Albrecht Dürer in 1514, this work is a woodcut printed on laid paper. Originating from Nuremberg during the German Renaissance, the print measures 15.2 cm in height and 10.1 cm in width. The image depicts the Madonna and Child being crowned by two angels set against a landscape background.
As a religious composition, the piece exemplifies the artist's mastery of line and spatial depth within the print medium.
History & Provenance
Albrecht Dürer created this woodcut in Nuremberg in 1514. The work entered the collection of Lessing J. Rosenwald of Jenkintown, Pennsylvania, who purchased it in 1929. Rosenwald subsequently donated the print to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., in 1943, where it remains part of the Rosenwald Collection.
The work is held by the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., as part of the Rosenwald Collection. It entered the institution in 1943 as a gift from Lessing J. Rosenwald, who had originally purchased the print in Jenkintown, Pennsylvania, in 1929. While the National Gallery of Art is the primary holding institution, the work is also associated with the Metropolitan Museum of Art in broader cataloging contexts.
No specific exhibition history or accession numbers are detailed in the provided records, though the print's provenance is firmly documented through its transfer from Rosenwald to the gallery.
Overview
The Virgin Crowned by Two Angels above a Landscape is a woodcut on laid paper created by Albrecht Dürer in 1513, depicting a religious scene with the Virgin Mary, the Christ Child, and attending angels set against a landscape backdrop.
Context
Produced during the Northern Renaissance, this woodcut reflects the period's religious themes and the growing accessibility of art through printmaking, allowing Dürer's work to reach a broad audience.
Legacy
As one of Dürer's woodcuts, it contributes to his legacy in popularizing religious imagery through printmaking, influencing the dissemination of artistic and religious themes across Europe during the Renaissance.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Albrecht Dürer spent his life in Nuremberg, a busy German city where artists traded prints like currency.
![Madonna and Child [obverse], by Albrecht Dürer](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/albrecht-durer--madonna-and-child-obverse--d7b8ebf05d22ebe5-w320.webp)
![Lot and His Daughters [reverse], by Albrecht Dürer](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/albrecht-durer--lot-and-his-daughters-reverse--b4ebf9b282faa17a-w320.webp)
