{"product_id":"the-small-horse-by-albrecht-durer","title":"The Small Horse by Albrecht Dürer","description":"Albrecht Dürer\u003cbr\u003e 1471-1528 | German \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cem\u003eThe Small Horse\u003c\/em\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Dated in the plate on upper center; monogrammed in the plate lower center: AD\u003cbr\u003e Meder state a\u003cbr\u003e Copperplate engraving on laid paper \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cem\u003e“Whatever was mortal in Albrecht Dürer lies beneath this mound.” — Albrecht Dürer’s epitaph\u003c\/em\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Regarded as the greatest engraver in history, Albrecht Dürer revolutionized printmaking by combining extraordinary naturalism with technical precision. \u003cem\u003eThe Small Horse\u003c\/em\u003e reflects his lifelong fascination with ideal beauty, proportion and movement. The striking horse, rendered with anatomical accuracy, conveys both energy and poise, exemplifying Dürer’s mastery of copper engraving and his ability to merge realism with classical idealization. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The composition is tightly controlled, with the horse shown in profile against a stone wall, its tail restrained by a knot, while the wing-footed warrior in a butterfly-winged helmet struggles to keep pace. Dürer’s use of intersecting diagonals in the architecture and pike arrests the motion, creating a dynamic tension that balances naturalistic detail with a heraldic formality. Influenced by Italian Renaissance masters such as Pisanello, Donatello, Mantegna and Leonardo da Vinci, as well as classical bronze equestrian sculptures in Venice, Dürer integrates idealized form with studied observation. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Horses were recurring subjects in Dürer’s oeuvre, often used to explore movement, proportion and symbolism. In \u003cem\u003eThe Small Horse\u003c\/em\u003e, each detail, from the musculature of the horse to the warrior’s posture, is meticulously rendered through precise shading and line work, creating a work that is both a vivid study in anatomy and a testament to Dürer’s unrivaled skill in engraving. His prints remain benchmarks for technical achievement and artistic insight, influencing generations of artists across Europe. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Albrecht Dürer, born in Nuremberg in 1471, is regarded as the most influential artist of the Northern Renaissance. Early in his career, Dürer apprenticed with his father, a goldsmith, and later with Michael Wolgemut, whose workshop introduced him to woodcut illustration. Fascinated by the Italian Renaissance, Dürer made two formative visits to Italy, where he absorbed the classical techniques of masters like Pollaiuolo, Mantegna and Michelangelo. The stay marked a turning point in his career, and it was his ability to merge his Italian influences with the Northern tradition of intricate detail that established Dürer as a leading figure in Renaissance art. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Throughout his career, Dürer created works that transcended the boundaries of woodcuts, engravings and paintings, demonstrating unmatched intellectual and artistic depth. Dürer was the most influential German artist of his time, serving as court artist to both Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I and his successor Charles V. Examples of this work are featured in the permanent collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., the Harvard Art Museums and other esteemed institutions. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Plate dated 1505 \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Paper: 6\" high x 4\" deep (15.24 x 10.16 cm)\u003cbr\u003e Frame: 16 3\/4\" high x 12 3\/4\" wide x 1\" deep (42.55 x 32.39 x 2.54 cm) \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Literature:\u003cbr\u003e Strauss, Walter L., ed. \u003cem\u003eThe Illustrated Bartsch 10 (Commentary): Sixteenth Century German Artists, Albrecht Dürer.\u003c\/em\u003e New York: Abaris Books, 1980. 328 pp., ill. No. 96, pp. 212–215\u003cbr\u003e Bartrum, Giulia, ed. \u003cem\u003eAlbrecht Dürer and his Legacy – The Graphic Work of a Renaissance Artist\u003c\/em\u003e, with contributions by Günter Grass, Joseph L. Koerner, and Ute Kuhlemann. London: The British Museum Press, 2002. 320 pp., ill. No. 180, p. 229\u003cbr\u003e Dodgson, C. \u003cem\u003eThe Masters of Engraving and Etching: Albrecht Dürer.\u003c\/em\u003e London and Boston, 1926. No. 43 Hollstein, F.W.H. \u003cem\u003eGerman Engravings, Etchings and Woodcuts, c.1400–1700. Volume VII.\u003c\/em\u003e Amsterdam: M. Hertzberger, 1954–. No. 93\u003cbr\u003e Rowlands, J.K. \u003cem\u003eThe Graphic Work of Albrecht Dürer: An Exhibition of his Prints and Drawings in Commemoration of the Quincentenary of his Birth.\u003c\/em\u003e London: British Museum, 1971. Exhibition catalogue. No. 113\u003cbr\u003e Schoch, R., M. Mende, and A. Scherbaum. \u003cem\u003eAlbrecht Dürer. Das Druckgraphische Werk. Band I: Kupferstiche, Eisenradierungen und Kaltnadelblätter.\u003c\/em\u003e Munich, London, New York, 2001. No. 42\u003cbr\u003e Heller, Joseph. \u003cem\u003eDas Leben und die Werke Albrecht Dürer.\u003c\/em\u003e Bamberg, 1827. Vols. 2 \u0026amp; 3 (vol. 1 unpublished). No. 1000\u003cbr\u003e Meder, Joseph. \u003cem\u003eDürer-Katalog: Ein Handbuch über Albrecht Dürers Stiche, Radierungen, Holzschnitte, deren Zustände, Ausgaben und Wasserzeichen.\u003c\/em\u003e Vienna, 1932. No. 93\u003cbr\u003e Dodgson, C. \u003cem\u003e The Masters of Engraving and Etching: Albrecht Dürer.\u003c\/em\u003e London and Boston, 1926. No. 43\u003cbr\u003e Tietze, Hans and Erika Tietze-Conrat. \u003cem\u003eKritisches Verzeichnis der Werke Albrecht Dürers.\u003c\/em\u003e Vol. 1, Augsburg, 1928; Vol. 2, Basel and Leipzig, 1937; Vol. 3, Basel and Leipzig, 1938. No. 281\u003cbr\u003e Panofsky, Erwin. \u003cem\u003eThe Life and Art of Albrecht Dürer.\u003c\/em\u003e Vol. I, Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1955 (4th edn); Vol. II, Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1945 (2nd edn). No. 203\u003cbr\u003e Strauss, W.L. \u003cem\u003eThe Intaglio Prints of Albrecht Dürer.\u003c\/em\u003e 6 volumes. New York, 1977. No. 44 \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Provenance:\u003cbr\u003e Private Collection, Germany\u003cbr\u003e M.S. Rau, New Orleans","brand":"M.S. Rau","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51805285122370,"sku":null,"price":42500.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0982\/5376\/6978\/files\/32-1431_1.png?v=1768407440","url":"https:\/\/www.bullvendors19.com\/ar\/products\/the-small-horse-by-albrecht-durer","provider":"Bull Vendors 19","version":"1.0","type":"link"}