The Adoration of the Lamb

The Adoration of the Lamb by Albrecht Dürer, created between 1496 and 1498, is a pivotal example of the German Renaissance master’s early printmaking career and one of the most sophisticated woodcuts produced in the late 15th century. As a classification of graphic art, the piece demonstrates Dürer’s transformative approach to the medium, elevating the woodcut from a simple illustration tool to a vehicle for complex, detailed, and atmospheric compositions, a hallmark of the period spanning 1401 to 1500.

The subject matter, derived from the Book of Revelation, depicts the collective heavenly worship surrounding the Agnus Dei, or the Lamb of God. Dürer’s meticulous draughtsmanship allows for an astonishing level of detail, skillfully rendering the vast crowd of figures, saints, and martyrs gathered around the central religious motif. This work required extreme precision in carving the wooden block to achieve the density of cross-hatching and varied line weight that defines this early period of Dürer’s production. The sheer scale and ambition of the composition set a new standard for graphic storytelling.

This print was instrumental in establishing Dürer’s international reputation, allowing his complex religious narratives and technical mastery to be widely disseminated across Europe. The ability to circulate high-quality prints rapidly revolutionized the art market and solidified the artist’s position as the leading graphic artist of the age. Because of its age and historical importance, this work is recognized as being in the public domain, ensuring its continued study by scholars worldwide. This significant impression of Dürer’s renowned woodcut is maintained in the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Art.