Madonna with the Pear

Madonna with the Pear is a significant engraving created by the master German Renaissance artist Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528) in 1511. This exquisite work, classified as a print, showcases Dürer’s unparalleled precision in the medium of engraving, executed in black ink on ivory laid paper. Created at the height of his career, the piece reflects the synthesis of classical proportionality derived from Italian art theory with the exacting detail characteristic of the Northern European tradition.

The print features the solemn, traditional subject of the Virgin Mary holding the Christ Child. The title object, the pear, held by the infant, often serves as a potent symbolic element in religious iconography, representing Christ’s incarnation and redemption through salvation. Dürer’s technical skill as a printmaker, a hallmark of the era in Germany, is evident in the minute hatching and crosshatching used to create realistic textures, complex folds of drapery, and subtle tonal gradations. This engraving technique allowed Dürer to achieve a sculptural quality and a level of detail far surpassing the earlier woodcut medium.

As one of Dürer's highly refined graphic works, Madonna with the Pear demonstrates the artist's mastery of spiritual portraiture and composition. Prints like this circulated widely throughout Germany and Europe, contributing immensely to Dürer’s international fame and ensuring his work reached a broad audience, securing its importance in the history of art. This superb example of Renaissance printmaking, which today is widely appreciated and available through public domain collections, is housed in the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago.