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
Not on view
Print

Description

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, who balances on a sphere to symbolize the unpredictable, topsy-turvy nature of fate.
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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