The Circumcision, from "The Life of the Virgin"

The Circumcision, from "The Life of the Virgin" by Albrecht Dürer is a powerful woodcut print created during the late 15th and early 16th centuries, forming a key part of the artist's monumental series The Life of the Virgin. Produced between 1485 and 1528, this celebrated sequence showcases Dürer’s mastery of graphic arts, elevating the relatively crude medium of the woodcut to unprecedented levels of artistic complexity and detail characteristic of the German Renaissance.

The scene depicts the Circumcision of Jesus, a required Jewish rite performed eight days after birth, which is traditionally associated with the naming of the infant. Dürer’s composition is dynamic and rich with narrative detail, featuring the infant Jesus attended by multiple figures, including observing men and women, and prominently the Virgin Mary. The work effectively uses the stark contrast inherent in the medium to define the architectural setting and emphasize the emotional weight of the event.

As a primary exponent of Northern Renaissance art, Dürer ensured that the medium of prints could serve as sophisticated carriers of religious narrative, allowing widespread dissemination of imagery across Europe. The prolific nature of his woodcuts meant that many impressions of this piece, and others from The Life of the Virgin series, eventually entered the public domain, providing essential visual resources for religious devotion and artistic study. This impressive print is housed within the esteemed collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.