''Visitation'' is a 1503

woodcut Woodcut is a relief printing technique in printmaking. An artist carves an image into the surface of a block of wood—typically with gouges—leaving the printing parts level with the surface while removing the non-printing parts. Areas tha ...

by the German Renaissance artist Albrecht Dürer, from his series on the

Life of the Virgin The Life of the Virgin, showing narrative scenes from the life of Mary, the mother of Jesus, is a common subject for pictorial cycles in Christian art, often complementing, or forming part of, a cycle on the Life of Christ. In both cases the ...

. It depicts the Visitation, an episode in the

Gospel of Luke The Gospel of Luke), or simply Luke (which is also its most common form of abbreviation). tells of the origins, birth, ministry, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ. Together with the Acts of the Apostles, it makes up a two-vol ...

, when

Mary Mary may refer to: People * Mary (name), a feminine given name (includes a list of people with the name) Religious contexts * New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below * Mary, mother of Jesus, also calle ...

, heavily pregnant, travels to see her much older cousin Elisabeth, who is now also late with child. The women embrace at the house of Elisabeth's husband Zacharias, who is shown standing at the doorway to the left of the woodcut. Both Zacharias and his wife are old; and he is struck into silence by the fact of his long barren wife having finally conceived a child.Nürnberg, 67 The highly detailed landscape shown in the background is likely inspired by the artist's two journeys through the

Alps The Alps () ; german: Alpen ; it, Alpi ; rm, Alps ; sl, Alpe . are the highest and most extensive mountain range system that lies entirely in Europe, stretching approximately across seven Alpine countries (from west to east): France, Swi ...

during 1494–95.

Notes

Sources

*Nürnberg, Verlag Hans Carl. ''Dürer in Dublin: Engravings and woodcuts of Albrecht Dürer''. Chester Beatty Library, 1983 {{DEFAULTSORT:Visitation Prints by Albrecht Dürer Prints based on the Bible Prints including the Virgin Mary 16th-century prints Woodcuts Catholic engraving

See also

Notes

Sources