Albrecht Dürer: The Virgin Among a Multitude of Animals 1503
This ink painting could be a picture in a medieval coloring book, in the best sense. Dürer drew the painting with pen, and youngsters could have colored it with nice pastel colors. It probably did not happen, but it would have been so great.
The painting is very detailed, a carefully crafted work of the German master. The blonde Madonna with the sated baby Jesus in her hand, are in the center. The Madonna would prefer to read her book but the baby would prefer to play with the flower in his hand. Well, not everything is perfect.
Nobody cares about the animals: bugs, butterflies, swans, owls, sheep, frogs, crabs, dogs, and snails are all in a bucolic existence. Only the fox troubles me. The poor creature is tied to a snag with a rope on the bottom of the composition. Why? My biblical knowledge is very incomplete. That is why I cannot figure out what the angel is doing in the background. Does he falling down? The good villagers will catch him for sure. On the left side, the approaching army at the harbor is Lilliputian, like an ant troop. They are negligible.
If Dürer had used dark, earthy colors, the fox, the hiding owl, or even the old man on the right side would be threatening. A little dark gray color for the clouds and the angel would be the messenger of doomsday. Some blackish-brownish color on the houses and the scene would be an accursed place. A more trenchant, closer army would be worrisome. The master chose, however, joyous, light range of colors instead.
Dürer colored them with happy pastel tones, assigning to the scene an idyllic, soft, pleasured meaning. The world is a nice place. The Redeemer was born after all, and he seems healthy. He is apparently unaware of the fate awaiting him. His tummy is full and his fair ringlets are in order. He will contently mangle the flower so that the Madonna can read her book. The animals are cute, the landscape with the houses is charming, and a glorious, bright star shines down on us. I told you, it is a perfect coloring picture for medieval youngsters.
