Artwork Page for Nemesis

Details / Information for Nemesis

Nemesis

c. 1501–02

Albrecht Dürer

(German, 1471–1528)
Culture
Germany, early 16th Century
Medium
engraving
Measurements
Sheet: 33.3 x 23 cm (13 1/8 x 9 1/16 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of Mrs. Ralph King 1943.178
Catalogue raisonné
Meder 72b
State
II/II
Public Domain
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Location
101B Prints & Drawings
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Print

Description

Martin Schongauer’s painterly sense of light and composition influenced Albrecht Dürer. The younger Dürer even visited Schongauer but arrived after his death. Nemesis, based on a Latin poem by Italian scholar Angelo Poliziano (1454–1494), is the Greek goddess of moral judgment and justice; her goblet and bridle symbolize reward and punishment. The print showcases Dürer’s organized, graphic approach to engraving, with refined dark-to-light transitions that create an unprecedented three-dimensional effect. His varied marks—from long and winding to crossed and dotted—produce organized and finely detailed vignettes. Such large, elaborate engravings took Dürer months to complete and attracted a growing number of collectors.
A vertically oriented print in black ink depicts Nemesis, a nude winged woman with a light skin tone and a full build, in profile facing right. She stands on a sphere above clouds, her right arm extending to hold an ornate chalice while her left hand grips a bridle. Below her, a detailed landscape features a river winding through a mountainous valley with a village. Fine lines create deep shadows throughout the scene.

Nemesis

c. 1501–02

Albrecht Dürer

(German, 1471–1528)
Germany, early 16th Century

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