Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528)
Hercules at the Crossroads (B. 73; M. 63 II.a; S.M.S. 22), 1498
Engraving on laid paper, with High Crown watermark (M. 20), a superb Meder IIa impression (the first, unfinished state survives in two impressions only, in Berlin and Vienna), rich and dark in the shadows, with strong contrasts, plate tone and little to no sign of wear, with thread margins around three sides, the top sheet edge trimmed just above the borderline, framed.
sheet 12 11/16 x 8 13/16in (32.3 x 22.3cm)