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ALBRECHT DÜRER
German, 1471 – 1528
The Madonna with the Monkey, 1498
Engraving on laid paper
Public domain
Acquired with funds from the Board of Visitors Muscarelle Museum of Art Endowment
2012.116
Famous in his day and ours, Nuremberg artist Albrecht Dürer was a painter and printmaker. The son of a goldsmith, Dürer was trained as an engraver from his early years. In The Madonna with the Monkey, Dürer’s abilities as an engraver are on full display. The marvelous texture of the monkey’s fur and the detail of Mary’s dress show his meticulous technique.
Dürer’s attention to a human relationship is also evident. Mary holds her son Jesus lovingly but firmly. The chained monkey (a symbol of sin) represents the redemption of humanity through Christ’s birth. Both figures are integrated into the natural world. The background scene was taken from Fisherman's house on a lake, a watercolor Dürer did from life the year previously.
Caitlin Blomo '21
Albrecht Durer, Fisherman's house on a lake, c. 1497, 213 x w. 225 mm, British Museum.
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