The Death of the Virgin, from The Life of the Virgin

The Death of the Virgin, from The Life of the Virgin is a powerful woodcut created in 1510 by Albrecht Dürer German, 1471-1528. Executed in black ink on tan laid paper, this print exemplifies the mastery Dürer brought to the medium, transforming the humble woodblock from a folk technique into a sophisticated vehicle for high art. This composition is the dramatic conclusion of his renowned series, The Life of the Virgin, detailing the life of the Mother of God and produced during the height of the German Renaissance.

The scene depicts the moment of Mary’s passing, surrounded by the twelve Apostles within a grand, yet somber, architectural interior. Dürer focuses on emotional intensity and narrative clarity, characteristic of his mature graphic works. While the subject centers on solemn grief, the artist includes Saint Peter administering the last rites, offering a sense of spiritual reassurance and structure to the gathering. The highly resolved technical detail, deep contrasts, and expressive figures seen in this piece helped solidify Dürer’s reputation across Europe as the leading printmaker of the period, deeply influencing graphic arts production in Germany and beyond.

Classified simply as a print, this work showcases the revolutionary capacity of the woodcut to achieve painterly effects equivalent to copper engraving. The creation of such detailed, reproducible imagery was essential for disseminating religious narrative and artistic ideas throughout the period. As a major example of early sixteenth-century German graphic arts, this impression of Dürer’s work is held in the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago.