The Abduction of Proserpine

Details

Bartsch 72; Meder 67 II c (of II c); Schoch/Mende/Scherbaum 83 II c (of II c).

Descrizione

Good, strong impression with all rust stains and a small margin around the borderlines.
According to Panofsky, the “infernal character” of the scene favours the interpretation of the depiction as the abduction of Proserpina. Rippled, rapidly drifting wisps of cloud in the sky, the mount rushing in from the left and the wildly gesticulating victim emphasise the dynamic content of the scene. According to Homer and Ovid, Pluto abducted Proserpina to the underworld in a chariot drawn by horses. Here, however, the daughter of Zeus and Demeter is abducted by a naked wild man on a unicorn with goat hooves, which emphasises the unbridled erotic aspect of the scene. Dürer transposes the ancient myth into the imaginary world of medieval popular belief, thus adding a darker demonic side to the classical material with moral reservations (cf. Schoch). – Paper evenly darkened and with brown stains. Slight water stains on the reverse. A horizontal line in brown pen at the lower edge. Former remnants of mounting on the reverse at the upper edge, otherwise still good.