St. Eustace

Details

Bartsch 57; Meder 60 d (of k); Schoch/Mende/Scherbaum 32 d (of k).

Description

Good, clear and high contrast impression, cut within the edge of the plate, on the right edge up to the horse’s tail. Dürer’s largest engraving and one of the artist’s principal works, it is considered the “first highlight” in his engraved oeuvre. According to legend, Eustace was a Roman officer in Trajan’s army who converted to Christianity after an encounter with a deer bearing a crucifix in its antlers and was later martyred. The engraving shows Dürer’s mastery in reproducing the variety of natural forms. From the vegetation in the foreground to the swan pond with a bridge to the castle with a flock of birds, every detail is reproduced with the same attention to detail, creating an entire microcosm entirely infitting with the Roman saint’s adoration of Christ. – The top left corner reattached. Careful repairs to the horse’s body on the reverse. There is a small restored loss in Eustace’s cloak. A missing spot in the grass on the right edge, small repairs along the edge, otherwise in good condition.