The Death of the Virgin Possibly 1510 - 1511

Albrecht Durer created this image, "The Death of the Virgin," using engraving, a printmaking technique, sometime before his death in 1528. As a leading artist of the German Renaissance, Durer lived during a time of religious upheaval marked by the Protestant Reformation. Here, Durer captures a powerful intersection of the sacred and the personal as the Virgin Mary dies surrounded by the twelve apostles. The cross looms above the bed. The emotional intensity of the scene is palpable as Durer uses detailed lines to show the figures' grief. Note how Durer, as a man, depicts these male apostles as active witnesses to this intimate and vulnerable moment in the life of the Virgin Mary. Through his composition and delicate lines, Durer invites us to contemplate the significance of the Virgin Mary's death, not just as a religious event, but as a profound human experience. It reflects the societal values, religious beliefs, and emotional depth of the early 16th century, while speaking to enduring themes of loss, faith, and community.