Virgin and Child Crowned by Two Angels

Virgin and Child Crowned by Two Angels is a precise engraving executed by Albrecht Dürer in 1518. This devotional print exemplifies the technical height of Northern Renaissance printmaking and stands as a testament to the artist’s mastery over the burin, the primary tool used for incising designs into a copper plate.

Dürer utilizes the demanding medium of engraving to achieve remarkable detail and varied tonal texture. The composition focuses intimately on the central religious subject: the Virgin Mary holding the Christ Child. The scene is elevated by the inclusion of two finely rendered Angels hovering directly above Mary, carefully placing a royal crown upon her head, thereby signifying her sacred status as the Queen of Heaven. The delicate hatching and cross-hatching demonstrate the German artist’s capacity to translate volume and light using only line work.

Produced late in Dürer’s career, this work reflects the artist's mature engagement with classical ideals merged with distinctively Northern attention to meticulous detail. The print was widely distributed across Europe, cementing Dürer’s reputation as the foremost German Renaissance master and ensuring that his interpretations of essential Christian iconography, such as the Virgin Mary and the Angels, influenced subsequent generations of printmakers. The accessibility afforded by these original prints allowed for wide circulation and private contemplation across diverse audiences.

Today, this significant example of early 16th-century German graphic arts resides in the extensive collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. As many of Dürer’s masterworks have entered the public domain due to their age, high-quality digital prints and detailed studies of this remarkable engraving are widely accessible for scholarly research and educational purposes.