Virgin and Child Seated by a Tree

Description

Virgin and Child Seated by a Tree is a 1513 engraving by Albrecht Dürer. The tree places the devotional subject within the natural world, giving the mother-and-child group a setting of quiet shelter. The title’s simple combination of figures and landscape makes this particular arrangement distinct within Dürer’s many images of the Madonna.

The seated pose lends the composition a sense of rest. Engraved contours and tonal work bring together the human forms and the textures of the surrounding setting, inviting close attention to their relationship. Virgin and Child Seated by a Tree finds its expressive center in the bond between Mary and the infant Christ. The outdoor setting adds a contemplative character, allowing a familiar sacred subject to unfold as an intimate moment.

Read our guide to giclée prints or browse the Dürer collection.