• Additional view of object
Jun 5, 2006

Nemesis

Nemesis

c. 1501–02

Albrecht Dürer

(German, 1471–1528)

Germany, early 16th Century

Engraving

Platemark: 33.3 x 23 cm (13 1/8 x 9 1/16 in.)

Gift of Mrs. Ralph King 1943.178

Catalogue raisonné: Meder 72b

State: II/II

Location

not on view

Download and Share

Download
Creative Commons CC0
Print
Social share

Description

According to the Latin poem that inspired this engraving, Nemesis, the Greek goddess of retribution, had the “power to crush the arrogant minds and triumphs of men and to confound their too ambitious plans.” Ready to dispense judgment, Nemesis hovers formidably above the clouds that separate her from the insignificant town below. As in the poem, here Nemesis has her traditional attributes—a bridle for punishment and a goblet for reward—but Dürer conflated her with Fortuna, the goddess of fortune, who balances on a sphere to symbolize the unpredictable, topsy-turvy nature of fate.

See also
Collection: 
PR - Engraving
Department: 
Prints
Type of artwork: 
Print
Medium: 
Engraving
Credit line: 
Gift of Mrs. Ralph King

Contact us

The information about this object, including provenance, may not be currently accurate. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@clevelandart.org.

To request more information about this object, study images, or bibliography, contact the Ingalls Library Reference Desk.

All images and data available through Open Access can be downloaded for free. For images not available through Open Access, a detail image, or any image with a color bar, request a digital file from Image Services.