Artwork Page for The Promenade

Details / Information for The Promenade

The Promenade

c. 1497

Albrecht Dürer

(German, 1471–1528)
Culture
Germany
Medium
engraving
Measurements
Image: 19.4 x 12 cm (7 5/8 x 4 3/4 in.)
Credit Line
John L. Severance Fund 1953.139
Catalogue raisonné
Meder 83
State
I/II
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
Print
?

Did You Know?

As if to reinforce the uncertain status of this couple, Albrecht Dürer portrayed the woman stepping on the hem of her gown.

Description

Balancing an hourglass on his head, Death stalks this fashionable couple strolling in the countryside. When Dürer created this print, figures of Death were moral reminders that life was brief, and they were also associated with the dangers of carnal desire. The improper placement of the man’s sword betrays his dishonorable intentions, while the woman’s bonnet signifies her married status. Their liaison is not innocent, but one of sinful infidelity.
A vertically oriented print in black ink on off-white paper depicts a man and woman walking in a landscape. The man wears a plumed cap and tunic, while the woman wears a tall, patterned headdress and gown. They look toward each other. On the right, a skeleton holding an hourglass hides behind a large tree. Hills and buildings fill the distance. At the bottom center sits a monogram: "AD".

The Promenade

c. 1497

Albrecht Dürer

(German, 1471–1528)
Germany

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