Four Naked Women
Original title: Four Naked Women
kurzbeschreibung
Albrecht Dürer made the engraving 'Four Nude Women' in 1497, presenting four unclothed women in an interior with a mirror and a lantern. The print measures 19.4 x 13.5 cm and belongs to the medium of engraving.
Description
Four nude women arrange themselves in various poses around a mirror. Some wear headdresses or have a cloth draped around their hips, while others remain completely uncovered. A lantern hangs from the ceiling, bearing the letters 'A' and 'H'. The room stays bare; a door and a wall form the back boundary. Fine hatching gives the bodies a sculptural quality.
Context
This engraving was made during Dürer's wanderjahre, before he settled permanently in Nuremberg. The subject of four nudes is rare and has been discussed in scholarship as a possible vehicle for allegorical or moral meaning. What the inscription on the lantern signifies remains uncertain to this day.
Impact
A quiet, almost intimate mood pervades the image, along with the precise observation of the bodies. The delicate line creates a sensual yet restrained presence that prompts the viewer to look closely.
Technique
For this engraving, lines were incised into a copper plate. Dürer used fine, parallel hatching to model light and shadow, demonstrating great technical skill.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)