Artwork Page for Saint Eustace

Details / Information for Saint Eustace

Saint Eustace

c. 1501

Albrecht Dürer

(German, 1471–1528)
Culture
Germany, late 15th-early 16th Century
Medium
engraving
Measurements
Image: 35.4 x 26 cm (13 15/16 x 10 1/4 in.); Sheet: 35.4 x 26 cm (13 15/16 x 10 1/4 in.)
Credit Line
Bequest of Leonard C. Hanna Jr. 1958.109
Catalogue raisonné
Meder 60b
Public Domain
You can copy, modify, and distribute this work, all without asking permission. Learn more about CMA's Open Access Initiative.
Location
Not on view
Print
?

Did You Know?

The artist showed an interest in how bodies move in space by depicting a hunting dog five times from different angles.

Description

Here, an encounter with nature dramatically alters a man’s journey through life. After Roman general Placidas tracked a stag in the forest, he saw a miraculous apparition of a crucifix between its horns. The miracle resulted in the general’s (thereafter Saint Eustace) immediate conversion to Christianity. Albrecht Dürer’s largest engraving demonstrates his mastery of tonal values and textures. His intense interest in nature’s variety makes finding the crucifix a kind of treasure hunt. Dürer took particular interest in the hunting dogs by carefully posing them to show five different aspects of the canine figure.
A vertically oriented intricate engraving in dense black-inked fine lines depicts Saint Eustace, a man with a light skin tone, kneeling and facing right with raised hands. In the foreground, a large horse and five dogs surround him. In the middle ground, a stag with a crucifix between its antlers stands among trees. In the background, a winding path leads from a stone bridge toward a multi-towered castle on a jagged cliff.

Saint Eustace

c. 1501

Albrecht Dürer

(German, 1471–1528)
Germany, late 15th-early 16th Century

See Also

Visually Similar by AI

Contact Us

The information about this object, including provenance, may not be currently accurate. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please fill out the appropriate request form linked below:

Update or Correct Artwork Information

Imagery or Rights for Non-Open-Access Artworks

Report a Website Issue

Further Questions About This Artwork