• Additional view of object
  • Additional view of object
Jun 1, 2006
Dec 1, 2005

The Virgin and Child with a Monkey

The Virgin and Child with a Monkey

c. 1498

Albrecht Dürer

(German, 1471–1528)

Germany, late 15th Century-early 16th Century

Engraving

Image: 19 x 7.9 cm (7 1/2 x 3 1/8 in.)

Dudley P. Allen Fund 1964.29

Catalogue raisonné: Meder 30a

Location

not on view

Download and Share

Download
Creative Commons CC0
Print
Social share

Description

Like his earliest engraving of the subject, Dürer portrayed the Madonna and Child within an enclosed garden. In addition to the garden, which refers to Mary’s virginity, the artist included other elements that reference each figure’s religious significance. The bird held by the Christ Child represents the souls that will be saved by his sacrifice while the chained monkey, a symbol of lust and greed, is tamed under the Madonna’s influence, thus reinforcing her purity and virtue. Done only a few years later than his Holy Family with Butterfly, the difference in the sculptural modeling of the figures and the skillful handling of the background show Dürer’s quick development as an engraver as well as the impact of his first visit to Italy in 1495-96.

See also
Collection: 
PR - Engraving
Department: 
Prints
Type of artwork: 
Print
Medium: 
Engraving
Credit line: 
Dudley P. Allen Fund

Contact us

The information about this object, including provenance, may not be currently accurate. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@clevelandart.org.

To request more information about this object, study images, or bibliography, contact the Ingalls Library Reference Desk.

All images and data available through Open Access can be downloaded for free. For images not available through Open Access, a detail image, or any image with a color bar, request a digital file from Image Services.