Nemesis
Albrecht Dürer (German, 1471–1528)
c. 1501–02
Medium
engraving
Dimensions
33.3 × 23 cm
Classification
Department
Prints
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Gift of Mrs. Ralph King
Accession Number
1943.178
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
male
About this artwork
According to the Latin poem that inspired this engraving, Nemesis, the Greek goddess of retribution, had the “power to crush the arrogant minds and triumphs of men and to confound their too ambitious plans.” Ready to dispense judgment, Nemesis hovers formidably above the clouds that separate her from the insignificant town below. As in the poem, here Nemesis has her traditional attributes—a bridle for punishment and a goblet for reward—but Dürer conflated her with Fortuna, the goddess of fortune...