The Holy Kinship with Lute Playing Angels
Albrecht Durer (1471-1528), The Holy Kinship with Lute Playing Angels, woodcut, 1511. References: Bartsch 97, Meder, Hollstein 216. In generally good condition, trimmed to the border, a horizontal fold, small made up repair lower center, other slight repaired breaks near left margin, scattered thin areas verso, 208 x 210 mm, 8 1/8 x 8 1/4 inches, archival mounting.
A fine strong Meder A/B (of D) impression, with clear black detailing and considerable gauffrage. Before the break and displacement of the numeral 1 of the date (which Meder notes is characteristic of the B impressions) but without any discernible watermark (B impressions characteristically have no watermark).
Provenance: unidentified collector’s mark (brown cross on circle stamp) verso (not in Lugt).
The Holy Kinship depicts the complex relationships of the family of Saint Anne, the mother of Mary and wife of Joachim. Joseph, Mary and Saint Anne’s three husbands (in the late medieval period she was thought to have had three) are pictured, as well as Anne’s two other daughters. Saint Anne is typically shown as here, holding a book.