The Elevation of Saint Mary Magdalene

Albrecht Dürer

National Gallery of Art

This print shows a woman standing with her feet together and her hands clasped at her chest. She appears to be floating in the air, her feet hovering above the rocky outcrop at the bottom of the print. She is nude, but her long, flowing hair wraps across her body, covering her groin and one of her breasts. She looks off to the left, her head slightly tilted, and there is a halo behind her head that is radiating light. Several small cherub-like figures with wings surround the woman, appearing to support her and lift her upwards. The background below her includes hills, rocks, and trees by a wide body of water. On the left, a robed person in the distance looks upward, observing her ascent. The sky is empty except for a few small birds.