Ambiguity and Feminine Authority in Albrecht Dürer’s Prints of Women
- Lecture
Carolyn and Jack Lampl Jr. Family Recital Hall
Four Naked Women (detail), 1497. Albrecht Dürer (German, 1471–1528). Engraving; 19 x 13.1 cm. Gift of Howard E. Wise in memory of his parents, Samuel D. and May W. Wise by exchange 1990.85
About The Event
German artist Albrecht Dürer’s allegorical and mythological prints of women frequently reflect his interest in Italian Renaissance humanism, a cultural movement embraced by his Nuremberg circle of friends that emphasized the study of classical literature and individualized critical thought. The identification and meaning of some of these prints, especially those featuring female nudity, are particularly nuanced and complex. Focusing on works from Dürer’s Women: Images of Devotion & Desire, Guest Curator Dr. Dana E. Cowen discusses how Dürer’s depictions of feminine authority in his more esoteric prints served as vehicles for larger moral, philosophical, and intellectual concepts.
Free; no reservations required.