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Lot 7

Albrecht Dürer
(German, 1471-1528)
The Promenade unframed

18 December 2018, 14:00 GMT
London, New Bond Street

Sold for £8,125 inc. premium

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Albrecht Dürer (German, 1471-1528)

The Promenade (Bartsch 94; Meder, Hollstein 83; Schoch, Mende and Scherbaum 19)
Engraving, circa 1498, on laid paper without watermark, a very good, rich Meder I a/b impression, with light platetone and burr to the bunch of grass in the lower left corner, trimmed on or just inside the irregular borderline on three sides, trimmed 10mm. inside the subject in the upper sheet, a very skillfully re-attached area in the sky to the right of the trunk, and other minor repairs

Sheet 184 x 119mm. (7 2/8 x 4 3/8in.) (unframed)

Footnotes

At first sight, this appears to be an innocuous scene of a beautiful, elegantly attired young couple strolling in a pleasant landscape. However, closer inspection reveals the figure of Death behind the tree, holding an hourglass, reminding the viewer of the transience of life. The ostrich feather in the man's cap references his single status, whilst the woman's headdress indicates that she is married. Therefore this would appear to be an adulterous encounter, a perception supported by the presence of the fast-growing plant on the left and the sword, symbolizing lust. Thus the viewer is presented with an allegory on morality and a momento mori.

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