The Holy Family with Joachim and Anne under a Tree

The Holy Family with Joachim and Anne under a Tree by Albrecht Dürer is a masterful woodcut created in 1511. This exceptional example of German Renaissance printmaking, executed during the period of 1501 to 1550, demonstrates Dürer’s profound influence on the graphic arts across Europe. Utilizing the demanding medium of woodcut on laid paper, Dürer achieved a level of detail and complexity usually reserved for copperplate engraving, showcasing the remarkable precision attainable in early 16th-century prints.

Dürer carefully composed the biblical subject matter, presenting the Christ Child, Mary, and Joseph alongside the Virgin’s parents, Joachim and Anne. The grouping is sheltered by a large, intricately rendered tree, which frames the intimate familial scene and grounds it in a naturalistic setting. This powerful representation of intergenerational piety is characteristic of Dürer’s religious works, which often combined traditional iconography with sophisticated spatial arrangements. As a key work in the artist's prolific output of devotional images, the complexity of the line work and the variation in shading exemplify why Dürer remains unmatched in his command of the woodcut technique.

The long-standing significance of the composition ensures its continued study by scholars. Today, this landmark print is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art, offering researchers and the public direct access to one of the defining images of the Northern Renaissance. Due to its age and historical importance, high-resolution versions of this print are widely available via public domain resources, ensuring broad accessibility to Dürer’s artistic genius.