Albrecht Dürer
(Germany 1471–1528)
- Title
- The Virgin and Child with a pear
- Other titles:
- Madonna with the pear
The Madonna and child with pear - Year
- 1511
- Media category
- Materials used
- engraving
- Dimensions
-
15.8 x 10.8cm image/sheet (irreg.)
- Signature & date
- Signed l.l., [incised plate] "AD [artist's monogram]". Dated u.centre, [incised plate] "1511".
- Credit
- Purchased 1928
- Accession number
- 448
- Location
- Not on display
- Further information
The Virgin offers the Christ Child a pear (a symbol of pacification) instead of an apple, which would remind the viewer of the Fall of Man. The relationship between the mother and the child is less formal than Dürer’s earlier renditions of the theme. The background affords a deep view through the pointed arch of a massive city gate. But our eye is also encouraged to wander over the surface and relish details such as the swirling folds of the Virgin’s drapery, the spiralling tree trunk and the uniform hatchings of the sky with its drifting clouds.
- Bibliography (2)
-
Ewen McDonald (Australia) (Editor), The Art Gallery of New South Wales collections, Sydney, 1994, 112 (colour illus.).
Nicholas Draffin (Australia, b.1943, d.1995) (Author), Piety and Paganism, Sydney, 1991, 4, 12 (illus.). no catalogue numbers
- Exhibition history (3)
-
Piety and Paganism, Art Gallery of New South Wales, 13 Jul 1991–29 Sep 1991.
German Old Master Prints, Art Gallery of New South Wales, 03 Mar 1998–16 Jun 1998.
Old Europe: Prints & drawings from the collection 1500-1800, Art Gallery of New South Wales, 03 Jun 2006–06 Aug 2006.
