The Holy Family with the three Hares

The Holy Family with the three Hares is arguably the most charming of the artist's woodcuts and one of the few idyllic images Dürer created in the medium. Mary, with the Christ Child standing on her knees, is seated in a walled garden, the hortus conclusus, a symbol of her virginity. She is surrounded by flowers and herbs growing around the grassy bench. In the foreground three rabbits play, in the background lies an open valley. Joseph has removed his hat and stands at a respectful distance, gazing in wonder at the child. Jesus however has no eyes for the natural beauty and abundance around him; instead he is leafing through a book, as if reading his own destiny.
The present impression was formerly at the Albertina and thus comes either from the holdings of Prince Albert of Saxony, Duke of Teschen (1766-1822), which he had put together with the help of Count Giacomo Durazzo (1717-1794), or from the Imperial collection itself. The two collections, Teschen's and that of the Court Library - were merged following the dissolution of the Habsburg empire. Over the subsequent year, duplicates were sold, and it was in one of these auctions that Felix Somary, who only ever bought the very best prints by Dürer and Rembrandt, acquired it. In keeping with its grand provenance, this impression of The Holy Family with the three Hares is undoubtedly one of the finest still in private hands.