Coat of Arms with Cock
Original title: Coat of Arms with Cock
kurzbeschreibung
Albrecht Dürer's engraving "Wappen mit Hahn" dates from around 1502. The print presents a rooster as the central motif of a coat of arms, which is framed by ornamental and figurative elements. The work is executed in the technique of engraving, and its subject is heraldic.
Description
A rooster with spread wings and outstretched neck dominates the center. It perches atop a shield, flanked on both sides by stylized cloud formations. Below the shield, a lion appears in a dynamic pose, its tail and claws rendered with great precision. An ornate border surrounds the entire coat of arms; the image remains monochrome, built from clear lines and hatching.
Context
Dürer made this engraving around 1502, during a period when he was deeply engaged with printmaking and heraldry. The print may have been commissioned by a noble family, though the exact patron cannot be identified. By this time, the artist was already recognized in Nuremberg as a master of engraving.
Impact
The layout feels highly balanced thanks to its symmetrical arrangement and careful linework. The lively rooster and the lion give the coat of arms a dynamic, almost dramatic quality. The fine hatching creates a sculptural depth characteristic of Dürer's prints.
Technique
The composition occupies the sheet as a centred heraldic scene, with the rooster, shield, flanking cloud-like forms, and the lion below arranged within an ornamental border. Fine hatching and cross-hatching incised with the burin into the copper plate create the graded monochrome modelling of light and shadow across this format. The scene's placement and the dense linear work give the sheet a clear, precise balance typical of the Renaissance.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)