ALBRECHT DÜRER Coat-of-Arms with a Lion and a Cock.
Engraving, circa 1503. 185x120 mm; 7¼x4¾ inches. A very good, dark, richly-inked Meder c impression. Small city coat of arms watermark (Meder 272, which he dates to around 1570). Narrow to thread margins. Bartsch 100; Meder 97.
Provenance: Ferdinand of Portugal, with the ink stamp (Lugt 968, verso); Art Institute of Chicago, with the ink stamps (Lugt 32b and 702h, verso)
Dürer's (1471-1528) first engraved coat-of-arms, he made one other in addition to several woodcuts like this subject. This arms was likely not intended for a specific family, but rather a creation of pure fantasy by Dürer. The elaborate foliage and additional details allow him to display his virtuoso engraving skills.
