Coat of Arms with a Skull

1503
(German, 1471–1528)
Sheet: 22.2 x 15.9 cm (8 3/4 x 6 1/4 in.)
Catalogue raisonné: Meder 1932, 98
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Description

In this visual allegory, Dürer creatively entangled themes of love and death. The hairy wild man, a traditional medieval figure of virility, lust, and aggression, plays the role of lover to a maiden dressed in alluring clothing. The skull on the fanciful coat of arms is a bold reminder that vanity and illicit desire carry a mortal price.
Coat of Arms with a Skull

Coat of Arms with a Skull

1503

Albrecht Dürer

(German, 1471–1528)
Germany, early 16th Century

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