Floor plan

Time and place16th-century Germany

16th-century Germany

This is a drawing of a wilderness setting by a river. The scene features rocky cliffs, lush vegetation, a large bearded figure holding a staff, and a small cherubic figure beside them. In the background, there is a village against a mountainous backdrop. The drawing has rich texture and intricate details, with a contrast of dark lines and lighter hues.
Erasmus of Rotterdam, by Hans Holbein the Younger, ca. 1532
The image shows a woman sitting with a child on her lap. The woman has a gentle expression and long hair, wearing a flowing robe. The child is facing her, reaching up with one hand. In the background are trees, hills, a building, and a fountain with a lion's head spouting water into a basin. The illustration is detailed, capturing textures and elements in the scene.
This is a drawing of two armored knights on horseback during a joust. It depicts two horses with riders clad in full armor, including helmets with decorative details. Each knight holds a lance, poised as if they are about to engage in a jousting match. The horses are also adorned in armor, with a colorful caparison draped over them. On the ground, there are lances and a halberd seen in the foreground. There are also disembodied arms and hands illustrated in the composition, adding an abstract element. The style is illustrative, capturing the medieval theme of chivalric tournaments.
Dead Blue Roller, by Hans Hoffmann, 1583
Adam and Eve, by Albrecht Dürer, 1504
Shown from the waist up, a light-skinned woman sits angled slightly to our right in this vertical portrait painting. The woman has blue eyes, faint brows, and a sloping nose ending in a small bulb. Her upper lip is thin and her lower lip full over a slight double chin. Her blond hair is pulled back under a gold, cap-like headdress and a black, wide-brimmed hat with a shallow crown. She wears a high-necked white, black, and gold dress with intricate detailing, a gold chain necklace that falls to her waist, and a black belt with a gold clasp and medallions. She wears two gold rings set with gems on the pointer finger of her left hand, which is folded across her belly over the other hand. A scarlet-red wallcovering with pink floral designs fills two-thirds of the space behind her. The rightmost third of the background opens onto a landscape with a tall, spindly tree, a leaping animal, presumably a dog, and a bridge across a body of water leading to a town. Across another body of water, perhaps a lake, mountains are marine blue in the distance under a clear, celestial-blue sky.
This is a drawing of two armored figures on horseback engaged in a joust. Both knights are clad in ornate armor and mounted on horses as they participate in the match. The scene captures the moment of impact, with splintered lances flying in the air. One knight in silver armor with blue accents is being unseated from his horse, while the other knight in red and silver armor remains mounted. Both horses are draped in colors matching their riders' armors. The focus is on the dynamic action and energy of the joust, with fine details showing the armor's shine and the movement of the horses. The drawing is bordered, and there is some script at the top and bottom.

The works in this room are listed below.

Works in this room

Works made in Germany in the 16th century.

First room, north wall

  1. This is a drawing of a wilderness setting by a river. The scene features rocky cliffs, lush vegetation, a large bearded figure holding a staff, and a small cherubic figure beside them. In the background, there is a village against a mountainous backdrop. The drawing has rich texture and intricate details, with a contrast of dark lines and lighter hues.
    Saint ChristopherLucas Cranach the Elder, 1506Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  2. Erasmus of Rotterdam, by Hans Holbein the Younger, ca. 1532
    Erasmus of RotterdamHans Holbein the Younger, ca. 1532Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art
  3. The image shows a woman sitting with a child on her lap. The woman has a gentle expression and long hair, wearing a flowing robe. The child is facing her, reaching up with one hand. In the background are trees, hills, a building, and a fountain with a lion's head spouting water into a basin. The illustration is detailed, capturing textures and elements in the scene.
    Madonna and Child at a FountainMaster MZ, 1501Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  4. This is a drawing of two armored knights on horseback during a joust. It depicts two horses with riders clad in full armor, including helmets with decorative details. Each knight holds a lance, poised as if they are about to engage in a jousting match. The horses are also adorned in armor, with a colorful caparison draped over them. On the ground, there are lances and a halberd seen in the foreground. There are also disembodied arms and hands illustrated in the composition, adding an abstract element. The style is illustrative, capturing the medieval theme of chivalric tournaments.
    Mock Joust of War with Flying Shields and Without BevorsUnrecorded German maker, c.1512-1515Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington

First room, south wall

  1. Dead Blue Roller, by Hans Hoffmann, 1583
    Dead Blue RollerHans Hoffmann, 1583Courtesy of the Cleveland Museum of Art
  2. Adam and Eve, by Albrecht Dürer, 1504
    Adam and EveAlbrecht Dürer, 1504Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art
  3. Shown from the waist up, a light-skinned woman sits angled slightly to our right in this vertical portrait painting. The woman has blue eyes, faint brows, and a sloping nose ending in a small bulb. Her upper lip is thin and her lower lip full over a slight double chin. Her blond hair is pulled back under a gold, cap-like headdress and a black, wide-brimmed hat with a shallow crown. She wears a high-necked white, black, and gold dress with intricate detailing, a gold chain necklace that falls to her waist, and a black belt with a gold clasp and medallions. She wears two gold rings set with gems on the pointer finger of her left hand, which is folded across her belly over the other hand. A scarlet-red wallcovering with pink floral designs fills two-thirds of the space behind her. The rightmost third of the background opens onto a landscape with a tall, spindly tree, a leaping animal, presumably a dog, and a bridge across a body of water leading to a town. Across another body of water, perhaps a lake, mountains are marine blue in the distance under a clear, celestial-blue sky.
    Margarethe Vöhlin [obverse]Bernhard Strigel, 1527Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  4. This is a drawing of two armored figures on horseback engaged in a joust. Both knights are clad in ornate armor and mounted on horses as they participate in the match. The scene captures the moment of impact, with splintered lances flying in the air. One knight in silver armor with blue accents is being unseated from his horse, while the other knight in red and silver armor remains mounted. Both horses are draped in colors matching their riders' armors. The focus is on the dynamic action and energy of the joust, with fine details showing the armor's shine and the movement of the horses. The drawing is bordered, and there is some script at the top and bottom.
    Italian Joust of PeaceUnrecorded German maker, c.1512-1515Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington

Second room, south wall

  1. Virgin and Child with Saint Anne, by Albrecht Dürer, probably 1519
    Virgin and Child with Saint AnneAlbrecht Dürer, probably 1519Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art
  2. The image shows a pattern of vertical and horizontal wooden bars forming a grid-like design. In the center, there is a rectangular panel with a decorative emblem against a red background. The emblem features swirling shapes. The structured wooden grid and ornate emblem suggest a vintage heraldic shield or coat of arms.
    Margarethe Vöhlin [reverse]Bernhard Strigel, 1527Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  3. Hermann von Wedigh III (died 1560), by Hans Holbein the Younger, 1532
    Hermann von Wedigh III (died 1560)Hans Holbein the Younger, 1532Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art
  4. The image shows a profile of a person's head and partial neck within a circular laurel wreath. The individual has distinct facial features, including a prominent nose and chin. The hairstyle is tight, wavy locks pulled back, and a laurel wreath crowns the head. The background is plain, with an inscription reading "IMP. CAESAR. TRAIANVS. AVG." Below the portrait are the initials "ISB" and the year "1546". The overall style resembles a classical engraving, featuring detailed line work and traditional iconography.
    TrajanSebald Beham, 1546Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington

Second room, north wall

  1. The Entrance Hall of the Regensburg Synagogue, by Albrecht Altdorfer, 1519
    The Entrance Hall of the Regensburg SynagogueAlbrecht Altdorfer, 1519Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art
  2. A work made of woodcut in black on tan laid paper.
    The Circumcision of Christ, from The Life of the VirginAlbrecht Dürer, c. 1505, published 1511Courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago
  3. Melencolia I, by Albrecht Dürer, 1514
    Melencolia IAlbrecht Dürer, 1514Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art
  4. Landscape with a Double Spruce, by Albrecht Altdorfer, ca. 1521–22
    Landscape with a Double SpruceAlbrecht Altdorfer, ca. 1521–22Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art