The Small Horse
1505
Medium
Engraving in black on ivory laid paper
Dimensions
16.3 × 10.8 cm (6 7/16 × 4 5/16 in.)
Classification
engraving
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
28257
Art Historical Context
Albrecht Dürer's *The Small Horse* (1505) is a masterful engraving that captures the elegant form of a prancing equine in exquisite detail. Created during the Northern Renaissance, when Dürer was at the height of his powers as a German printmaker, this work measures a modest 16.3 × 10.8 cm, inviting close contemplation. Printed in black ink on ivory laid paper, it exemplifiesürer's revolutionary command of the engraving medium—incising fine lines into a copper plate to produce rich tonal contrasts and lifelike textures, from the horse's glossy coat to its taut muscles. This piece emerged from...
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 ...