The Holy Family with the Three Hares
Original title: The Holy Family with the Three Hares
kurzbeschreibung
Created around 1497/1498, this woodcut by Albrecht Dürer brings together the Holy Family—Mary, the Christ Child, and Joseph—with angels and hares. The print combines a religious scene with naturalistic details, executed in the woodcut technique.
Description
Mary sits enthroned with the Christ Child on her lap, while Joseph stands to the left holding a book. Above the group, two hovering angels hold a crown. A landscape with trees, a house, and a bridge forms the backdrop, where several hares in various poses occupy the ground. The layout appears symmetrical: the Holy Family in the foreground, angels and hares behind. Fine lines and strokes model the shading, and the light seems evenly distributed.
Context
Dürer made this woodcut during his early creative period, when he was deeply engaged with printmaking. The motif of the Holy Family with hares was common in late medieval art; the hares can be read as symbols of fertility and resurrection. The work was created in Nuremberg, where Dürer ran his own workshop and became known for his precise woodcuts. The exact date is not certain, but it is assumed to be around 1497/1498.
Impact
The symmetrical arrangement and the calm landscape give the print a solemn yet idyllic mood. Fine lines and the clear structuring of the figures create a detailed but still harmonious effect. The combination of sacred scene and naturalistic hares invites close looking.
Technique
The image is built entirely from black lines that vary in thickness and spacing to create depth and volume. Parallel hatching models the folds of the robes and the faces, while denser cross-hatching deepens the shadows around the figures and in the landscape. Evenly spaced lines leave the light areas open, so that tone and illumination arise solely from the rhythm of the carved strokes.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)