The Abduction of Proserpine on a Unicorn
1516
Medium
Etching in black on off-white laid paper
Dimensions
31.4 × 21.2 cm (12 3/8 × 8 3/8 in.)
Classification
etching
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
60506
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
This is one of only six experiments by Dürer in the early art of etching and, reflecting the roots of that technique in armor decoration, is made on an uncompromising iron (rather than copper) plate. The composition, with its insistent linear background competing with the calligraphic freedom of the principal figures, represents Dürer's most mature printmaking style and his efforts to achieve an overall tonal unity.
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 ...