Saints Stephen, Sixtus and Laurence

Saints Stephen, Sixtus and Laurence by Albrecht Dürer is a remarkable early 16th-century print, executed in the woodcut medium between 1504 and 1505. This work exemplifies Dürer’s revolutionary approach, transforming the traditional woodcut from a simple outline technique into a complex, volumetric image capable of capturing subtle nuances in shading and texture. Originating in Germany during the High Renaissance, the piece highlights the intense religious focus and technical innovation characterizing the cultural output of Nuremberg at the time.

The composition features three venerable saints, important figures in the early Christian narrative, rendered with the distinctive precision typical of Dürer's graphic output. The artist’s technique involves meticulously cutting the wood block to achieve delicate cross-hatching and varying line weights, giving the figures an almost sculptural quality rarely seen in prints of this era. This mastery helped establish Dürer as the preeminent printmaker of the Northern Renaissance, enabling the widespread circulation of his religious imagery and iconography across Europe.

As a leading example of German Renaissance graphic arts, this specific impression of Saints Stephen, Sixtus and Laurence is currently housed within the extensive collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. The piece demonstrates why the artist’s prints were so highly sought after by collectors. Due to the age and enduring artistic significance of Dürer’s prolific output, many high-resolution impressions of his historically important works are today considered part of the public domain, allowing for widespread study and appreciation.