The Rejection of Joachim's Offering, from The Life of the Virgin

The Rejection of Joachim's Offering, from The Life of the Virgin is a foundational woodcut created by Albrecht Dürer in 1504. This powerful print forms part of Dürer’s influential series, The Life of the Virgin, a sequence of seventeen plates that cemented his reputation as the preeminent printmaker of the German Renaissance.

The scene depicts the moment, drawn from apocryphal scripture, when Joachim’s sacrifice is denied entry at the Temple in Jerusalem because he and his wife, Anna, were childless. The composition centers on Joachim, a deeply respected man and future patriarch of a saintly lineage, who stands dejected while presenting his sheep offering. The priest, shown turning his back in a gesture of religious disapproval, illustrates the severity of the rejection. Various attendant men observe the dramatic event, their presence emphasizing the public nature of Joachim’s humiliation. Dürer uses the woodcut medium to great effect, defining the architectural space and rendering the textures of the animals and human figures with meticulous detail.

As a work made early in the sixteenth century, this piece showcases Dürer’s advanced technical command, demonstrating the expressive capabilities he brought to relief printing. The widespread distribution of Dürer’s prints significantly elevated the status of the medium within the European art world. This particular work, essential for understanding the artist’s narrative style and technical innovation, is housed in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Prints from this key series are widely circulated, and copies are frequently made available through public domain collections for scholarly and general interest.