Artwork
Apollo and Diana
Apollo and Diana is an ink print by the Northern Renaissance artist Albrecht Dürer. It dates from 1504 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
Albrecht Dürer’s 1504 engraving presents the classical deities Apollo and Diana together on laid paper. The print, executed in the early sixteenth century, exemplifies Dürer’s engagement with mythological subjects and his mastery of the intaglio process.
Subject & Meaning
The composition brings together the sun god Apollo and the huntress Diana, figures drawn from Greco‑Roman mythology. Their juxtaposition reflects the Renaissance interest in antiquity, allowing viewers to contemplate the complementary attributes of light, music, and the wilderness.
Technique & Style
Created by incising lines into a copper plate, the engraving showcases Dürer’s precise handling of line and texture. The fine hatching conveys volume and surface detail, while the contrast of light and shadow demonstrates the artist’s command of tonal modulation within the limits of black‑ink printmaking.
History & Provenance
First produced in 1504, the print circulated among collectors of the period and has been preserved in several major European print collections. Its survival on laid paper attests to the durability of Dürer’s technique and the continued scholarly interest in his early mythological works.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Albrecht Dürer spent his life in Nuremberg, a busy German city where artists traded prints like currency.
![Madonna and Child [obverse], by Albrecht Dürer](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/albrecht-durer--madonna-and-child-obverse--d7b8ebf05d22ebe5-w320.webp)
![Lot and His Daughters [reverse], by Albrecht Dürer](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/albrecht-durer--lot-and-his-daughters-reverse--b4ebf9b282faa17a-w320.webp)
