Apollo and Diana
ca. 1503
Medium
Engraving
Dimensions
sheet: 4 9/16 x 2 7/8 in. (11.5 x 7.3 cm) plate: 1 15/16 x 1 1/4 in. (4.9 x 3.3 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Fletcher Fund, 1919
Accession Number
19.73.76
Tags
Art Historical Context
Albrecht Dürer, preeminent German artist of the Northern Renaissance, created *Apollo and Diana* around 1503 as a delicate engraving on a remarkably small plate—just under 2 by 1.25 inches. This intimate print depicts the classical deities Apollo, god of the sun and music, and his twin sister Diana, goddess of the hunt and moon, both poised with bows and arrows in a harmonious, nude embrace that evokes ideal human proportions inspired by ancient Greco-Roman sculpture. Dürer's fascination with mythology reflects the Renaissance humanist revival of classical themes, blending Northern precision w...
About the Artist
Albrecht Dürer · 1471–1528
Albrecht Dürer (1471–1528) stands as the preeminent figure of the Northern Renaissance and arguably the most influential artist in the history of printmaking. Born in Nuremberg on May 21, 1471, and dying in the same city on April 6, 1528, Dürer revolutionized the status of the artist in Northern Europe, transforming printmaking from a commercial craft into an independent fine art and establishing ...