The Madonna on a Grassy Bank

The Madonna on a Grassy Bank is a powerful late work by the German master Albrecht Dürer, executed in 1526. This small yet masterful composition is a woodcut, a medium Dürer revolutionized during the Northern Renaissance. Unlike his earlier, larger narrative prints, this piece focuses intensely on the central subject, demonstrating the refinement Dürer achieved in his handling of line and shadow late in his career. The precision required for such detailed work in the relatively resistant medium of wood reflects the artist's dedication to making complex imagery accessible to a wider audience through readily reproducible prints.

The subject matter, the Madonna and Child, is a cornerstone of Christian art, yet Dürer renders it with intimate naturalism. The title directly references the composition, showing the seated Virgin Mary placed not in a grand architectural setting, but informally upon a sloping grassy bank. The depiction of the Virgin as a woman cradling her infant balances spiritual reverence with maternal tenderness. This approach, simplifying the environment to focus solely on the figures and their emotional connection, typifies Dürer’s transition toward Reformation-era aesthetics where devotional imagery often became more direct and personal.

As one of Dürer's last major prints before his death, the subtlety of the figure work and the rich black inks are remarkable. Given its age and status as a cornerstone of art history, this work is considered to be in the public domain, though original impressions, like the one currently housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, are highly valued. The presence of such definitive prints in the Met’s collection ensures the lasting scholarly relevance of this important Renaissance depiction of women and maternal piety.