The Holy Family with the Dragonfly, ca. 1495

About the Work

Seated on a “grassy bank”, the Mother of God fondles her child. Behind them at the left, Saint Joseph has fallen asleep. Beyond the garden enclosed by a gate and a wall, a landscape with mountains and the sea, buildings and ships spreads out in the background. The little dragonfly at the lower right can be read as a reference to the importance of studying nature. Dürer’s monogram at the bottom edge has not yet developed to its final form.