The Nativity, from "The Little Passion"

The Nativity, from "The Little Passion," is an exquisite example of graphic art by the German Renaissance master Albrecht Dürer. Executed as a woodcut print sometime between 1485 and 1528, this work demonstrates Dürer’s profound commitment to religious narrative and his unparalleled technical mastery of the demanding woodcut medium. This piece belongs to The Little Passion, a foundational series of thirty-seven prints created largely around 1509 to 1511, which chronicled the life of Christ and was intended for devotional use by the burgeoning European middle class.

The scene focuses intimately on the sacred birth. The Virgin Mary kneels in reverence before the newborn Christ, who rests on a humble bed of straw rather than in a traditional manger. Dürer utilizes bold, precise lines and intricate cross-hatching to articulate the textures of the stone stable and the rough-hewn surroundings. Unlike some of his earlier, denser graphic works, this woodcut is characterized by slightly more open space, allowing for enhanced visual clarity while still maintaining sophisticated shadow and depth. Angels populate the upper corners, witnessing the central event and linking the earthly and divine realms.

As prints designed for widespread distribution, works like this allowed Dürer’s complex iconography to reach a massive audience throughout Europe, establishing him as one of the first truly international artists. This influential piece is held in the renowned collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Due to the enduring popularity of the series and the historical availability of the printing blocks, numerous impressions of The Nativity, from "The Little Passion" exist, many of which are now available in the public domain, attesting to the endurance of Dürer’s revolutionary style.