Who painted The Virgin Nursing the Christ Child with Four Angels?

The Virgin Nursing the Christ Child with Four Angels was painted by Albrecht Dürer in 1500.

Where can I see The Virgin Nursing the Christ Child with Four Angels?

The Virgin Nursing the Christ Child with Four Angels is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is The Virgin Nursing the Christ Child with Four Angels?

The Virgin Nursing the Christ Child with Four Angels is associated with Northern Renaissance.

Can I buy a print of The Virgin Nursing the Christ Child with Four Angels?

Museum-quality prints of The Virgin Nursing the Christ Child with Four Angels are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

The Virgin Nursing the Christ Child with Four Angels

Albrecht Dürer , 1500

The Virgin Nursing the Christ Child with Four Angels is an ink print by the Northern Renaissance artist Albrecht Dürer. It dates from 1500 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

The woodcut depicts the Nursing Madonna, a traditional Christian iconography showing the Virgin Mary breastfeeding the Christ Child, flanked by four angels.

The woodcut depicts the Nursing Madonna, a traditional Christian iconography showing the Virgin Mary breastfeeding the Christ Child, flanked by four angels. This motif emphasizes Christ’s humanity and Mary’s role as both mother and intercessor, drawing on late medieval devotional imagery that underscores the Incarnation. The presence of angels heightens the sacred atmosphere, reinforcing the theological significance of the scene as a moment of divine presence and grace.

The composition aligns with contemporary German Renaissance religious prints, where intimate yet reverent depictions of sacred figures were used to foster personal devotion.

History & Provenance

Albrecht Dürer created the woodcut The Virgin Nursing the Christ Child with Four Angels in 1500. The work was produced in Nuremberg during the German Renaissance. Executed on paper, this religious print depicts the Nursing Madonna surrounded by angels.

The piece is currently held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., where it is cataloged among the museum's prints.

The woodcut print The Virgin Nursing the Christ Child with Four Angels, created by Albrecht Dürer in 1500, is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. Within the institution, the work is categorized under the Prints in the National Gallery of Art. The provided sources do not contain specific inventory or accession numbers, nor do they list any exhibitions in which this specific impression has been displayed.

Context

Albrecht Dürer's 1500 woodcut The Virgin Nursing the Christ Child with Four Angels occupies a pivotal position within Northern Renaissance religious printmaking. Scholars highlight its innovative compositional balance and emotional restraint as defining traits of Dürer's early mastery, exemplifying the German Renaissance's synthesis of Northern detail with Italian proportion. The work's depiction of the Nursing Madonna reflects contemporary devotional practices, while its technical precision on paper solidified printmaking as a medium of intellectual and artistic prestige.

Its inclusion in the National Gallery of Art's collection underscores its enduring significance as a cornerstone of Dürer's graphic oeuvre and a key artifact for understanding the devotional art of the period.

Legacy

The print’s iconography of the Nursing Madonna shaped devotional imagery across German Renaissance print culture, establishing a visual precedent for intimate portrayals of Christ’s infancy. Its inclusion in the National Gallery of Art’s collection has ensured continued scholarly attention, reinforcing its reputation as a seminal work within the broader trajectory of Northern European religious printmaking.

Overview

The Virgin Nursing the Christ Child with Four Angels is a woodcut by Albrecht Dürer, created around 1500. It is a print on wood, depicting a scene from Christian iconography.

Technique & Style

The print features soft lines that create delicate folds in the figures' robes, achieved through Dürer's skillful use of the woodcut technique. The angels are rendered in a childlike manner, blurring the distinction between heavenly and human.