Woodcut series: Life of the Virgin (1511)

In 1511, Dürer returned to an increased study of printed graphics. Interactions between his paintings and graphics at this time as well as the experiences Dürer had gained on his second Italian journey are apparent in large-scale woodcuts such as the Holy Trinity and sheets from the Life of the Virgin. It is significant that Dürer turned to making series of woodcuts, such as the Small Passion and the Great Passion, the Life of the Virgin which Dürer published in 1511 in book form with poetry by the Benedictine monk Benedictus Chelidonius, and a new edition of the Apocalypse. In total, he produced nearly 90 woodcuts, some of which were very large in size, and these must have been very influential and ensured that the artist enjoyed a certain degree of financial independence from then on.

A development in form and graphic treatment discernible in the series The Life of the Virgin gives more aid in dating them than is to be found in the Apocalypse, a series more compact and less differentiated in style. The illustrations below follow the contents of the story, as told in the edition in book form of 1511.

Suggested listening (streaming mp3, 22 minutes):
Heinrich Schütz: Magnificat