Live Auction 7375The Genius of the German Renaissance: Prints by Albrecht Dürer
Albrecht Dürer
Lot 98

Albrecht Dürer

The Virgin and Child seated by a Wall (B. 40; M., Holl. 36; S.M.S. 73)

Closed4 December 2007

Price Realised

GBP 8,750

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Albrecht Dürer
The Virgin and Child seated by a Wall (B. 40; M., Holl. 36; S.M.S. 73)
engraving, 1514, a fine, silvery Meder b impression with good contrasts, without watermark, occasionally with thread margins, otherwise trimmed to the subject, some tiny brown specks in places in the drapery, touches of pen and ink to the platemark at upper left, otherwise in very good condition
S. 148 x 101 mm.

J. Barnard (L. 1419); his sale, T. Philipe, London, 2 May 1798, possibly lot 52 (18s. to Nollekins), or lot 54 (10s. to Philipe), or lot 55 (14s. to Philipe).
W. Worsley, according to a pencil inscription verso, not in Lugt.

Specialist note

As Matthias Mende has intriguingly pointed out, the Virgin with the Child seated by the Wall is closely related to Melencolia (lot 101). Both were engraved in 1514 and the two seated figures are very similar indeed. It is almost as if Melencolia had pulled herself together, tidied up the place, put a cloak on and decided to take care of the wayward child seated next to her on the millstone.