Dresden Altarpiece (central panel - Madonna and Child) 1496

Albrecht Dürer created this central panel of the Dresden Altarpiece, depicting the Madonna and Child, using oil on wood sometime around 1496-97. Painted during the Northern Renaissance, this work reflects a fascinating tension between religious tradition and emerging humanist values. The image creates meaning by blending the sacred with the everyday. The Madonna, though clearly a holy figure, is rendered with a naturalism that suggests a real woman. This reflects the changing social attitudes of the time, where there was a growing interest in human experience. Dürer’s work was deeply informed by the religious and social upheavals of the Reformation. It was painted during the time of the rise of the merchant class, and an increased emphasis on the individual. To truly understand this piece, it would be important to delve into the archives of the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister, where the altarpiece is housed, and also explore the religious writings of the period. The interpretation of art is contingent on understanding its original social and institutional context.