The Life of the Virgin

 

Illustrated by Albrecht Dürer

 

 

Albrecht Dürer's suite of illustrations known as the The Life of the Virgin is a set of 19 images derived from woodcuts that were published for the first time in 1511.

 

Knackfuss (Durer: H Grevel & Co, London; 1900) opens his description of the suite with a focus on the frontispiece, thus:

 

In this charming design, which fills only a portion of the page, in order to leave

room for the title, we see the Virgin Mary with the child at her breast, represented,

at the same time, as the woman of the Apocalypse, with the moon under her

feet, surrounded by the sun, and having a crown of twelve stars over her head.

It is wonderful what in impression of radiant light Dürer has managed to produce

with black lines.

 

Knackfuss continues his discussion of the suite, thus:

 

Next to the title are placed the sixteen cuts [produced prior to 1510]. After these

cometwo splendid designs, added in 1510, in which we see clearly, when we

compare them with the earlier ones, how much Dürer had perfected his style in

 

Above we show the effective

Title Page to Albrecht Dürer's

The Life of the Virgin

the meantime. The first of the two represents the death-chamber of the Virgin. We

are conscious of the solemn silence, in which all voices are hushed and no footstep

is heard, in the circle of the Apostles round the bed, on which the Mother of Christ,

with her countenance beautified by death and an expression of blissful peace upon

it, has just drawn her last breath. Then comes the Assumption of the Virgin, a

composition which in its general arrangement resembles the Heller altarpiece,

though in all details it is freshly thought out. Below, the Apostles are assembled

round the stone coffin which was to have contained the body of the Virgin and

look up to heaven full of astonishment at the incomprehensible event. Above, she

who has been released from the grave kneels in a space full of radiant beams, over

clouds and rainbow, with her form transfigured and made younger, and receives

the crown of heaven from the Triune God. After this there follows yet another

and extremely delightful concluding design, which must have been produced, by

the style of the drawing, before [Dürer's] visit to Venice, and which forms, as it

were, an epilogue to the story of Our Lady's life. The Virgin sits as Queen of

Heaven, with the child Jesus on her lap, worshipped by angels and saints, but she

sits not on a celestial throne but in a familiar, earthly chamber, as a gracious

intercessor whom mortals dare to approach.

 

 

Our Greeting Cards and Reproduction Prints

 

 

For connoisseurs, we have prepared sets of 19 Greeting Cards displaying each of the images from Dürer's The Life of the Virgin and on the left, we show an example of how these Greeting Cards appear. Ordering one of those sets is as easy as selecting the "Add to Cart" feature below and following the prompts provided with our Shopping Cart secured through PayPal. Multiple purchases will be consolidated by that feature and shipping and handling costs to any destination in the world are accommodated by our flat-rate fee of US$20 for every US$200 worth of purchases.

 

 

Code: AD LV MS(19)
Price: US$95.00

 

When presented on Greeting Cards, these images are prepared as tipped-on plates - in hommage to the hand-crafted

approach typical of prestige illustrated publications produced in the early decades of the 20th Century. Each card is

hand-finished and the images are presented on White card stock with an accompanying envelope. On the rear of each

card we also present some information about this great work and each individual illustration. We have left the interior

of the cards blank so that you may write your own personal message.

 

Should you wish to order a Reproduction Print from this suite, we have provided some options below. Of course,

should you wish to discuss some customised options, we welcome your contact on any matter through

ThePeople@SpiritoftheAges.com.

 

In the meantime, enjoy perusing these images from The Life of the Virgin by Albrecht Dürer.

 

 

Dürer's illustrations for The Life of the Virgin

 

 

The Refusal of Joachim's Offer

 

 

The Angel Appearing to Joachim

The Marriage of Joachim and Anne

at the Golden Gate

 

 

The Birth of the Virgin

Reproduction on 12x18" sheet

Code: AD LV M1 (12x18)
Price: US$60.00

 

Reproduction on 12x18" sheet

Code: AD LV M2 (12x18)
Price: US$60.00

Reproduction on 12x18" sheet

Code: AD LV M3 (12x18)
Price: US$60.00

 

Reproduction on 12x18" sheet

Code: AD LV M4 (12x18)
Price: US$60.00

 

The Presentation of the Virgin

in the Temple

 

 

The Marriage of the Virgin

 

The Annunciation

 

 

The Visitation

 

Reproduction on 12x18" sheet

Code: AD LV M5 (12x18)
Price: US$60.00

 

Reproduction on 12x18" sheet

Code: AD LV M6 (12x18)
Price: US$60.00

 

Reproduction on 12x18" sheet

Code: AD LV M7 (12x18)
Price: US$60.00

 

Reproduction on 12x18" sheet

Code: AD LV M8 (12x18)
Price: US$60.00

 

The Nativity; or,

The Adoration of the Shepherds

 

 

The Circumcision of Christ

The Adoration of the Magi

 

The Presentation of Christ

in the Temple

 

 

Reproduction on 12x18" sheet

Code: AD LV M9 (12x18)
Price: US$60.00

 

Reproduction on 12x18" sheet

Code: AD LV M10 (12x18)
Price: US$60.00

 

Reproduction on 12x18" sheet

Code: AD LV M11 (12x18)
Price: US$60.00

 

Reproduction on 12x18" sheet

Code: AD LV M12 (12x18)
Price: US$60.00

 

The Flight into Egypt

The Rest During the

Flight to Egypt

 

 

Christ among the Doctors

in the Temple

 

Christ Taking Leave of His Mother

Reproduction on 12x18" sheet

Code: AD LV M13 (12x18)
Price: US$60.00

 

Reproduction on 12x18" sheet

Code: AD LV M14 (12x18)
Price: US$60.00

 

Reproduction on 12x18" sheet

Code: AD LV M15 (12x18)
Price: US$60.00

 

Reproduction on 12x18" sheet

Code: AD LV M16 (12x18)
Price: US$60.00

 

 

The Death of Mary

 

 

The Coronation of the Virgin

The Virgin Worshipped

by Angels and Saints

 

Reproduction on 12x18" sheet

Code: AD LV M17 (12x18)
Price: US$60.00

 

Reproduction on 12x18" sheet

Code: AD LV M18 (12x18)
Price: US$60.00

 

Reproduction on 12x18" sheet

Code: AD LV M19 (12x18)
Price: US$60.00