The Monstrous Pig of Landser

probably 1496

Albrecht Dürer

Associated Names
Albrecht Dürer

Artist, German, 1471 - 1528

This is a drawing of two boars in front of a medieval castle. The image depicts two large boars with shaggy fur, engaged in an interaction, with one boar slightly elevated, appearing to be in motion as it leans on the other. Their posture and the curly tail of the standing boar add dynamism to the scene. In the background, there is a detailed depiction of a medieval castle or fortified town, with tall walls, towers, and a central gate. The landscape includes hilly terrain, with trees and foliage providing a natural backdrop to the man-made structures. The drawing showcases intricate line work, creating a textured and detailed composition.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    engraving on laid paper

  • Credit Line

    Rosenwald Collection

  • Dimensions

    sheet (trimmed within platemark): 12 × 11.8 cm (4 3/4 × 4 5/8 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1943.3.3457

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    Meder, no. 82, State c

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

purchased by Lessing J. Rosenwald [1891-1979], Jenkintown, PA (Lugt 1760b and Lugt 1932d), 1928; gift to NGA, 1943.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

1929

  • Engravings by Albrecht Durer from the collection of Lessing J. Rosenwald of Philadelphia, Baltimore Museum of Art, 1929, no. 7.

1953

  • Nuremberg and the German World, 1460-1530: Prints and books from the Kress and Rosenwald Collections, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., 1953.

1971

  • Dürer in America: His Graphic Work, NGA, 1971, no. 7, repro.

1973

  • Prints of the Italian Renaissance, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., 1973, no. 306.

1984

  • Graphic Survey Show, National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C., February 1984.

1997

  • Six Centuries/Six Artists, National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1997.

1998

  • A Collector's Cabinet, National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1998, no. 67.

Bibliography

1932

  • Meder, Joseph. Dürer-Katalog; ein Handbuch über Albrecht Dürers Stiche, Radierungen, Holzschnitte, deren Zustände, Ausgaben und Wasserzeichen. Vienna: Verlag Gilhofer und Ranschburg, 1932. Reprint. New York: Da Capo Press, 1971.

1998

  • Wheelock, Arthur K., Jr. A Collector's Cabinet. Exh. cat. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1998: no. 67.

2001

  • Schoch, Rainer, Mattihas Mende, and Anna Scherbaum. Albrecht Dürer: Das druckgraphische Werk. Munich, 2001: vol. 1: no. 8.

Inscriptions

in plate, bottom center: AD [artist's monogram]; verso, center left, in graphite by a later hand: B95; verso, lower left, in graphite by a later hand: 32 [upside down]; verso, lower left, in graphite by a later hand: S [?]; verso, lower right, in graphite by a later hand: V

Watermarks

high crown (similar to Meder 20)

Wikidata ID

Q1219903

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