Artwork
Little Fortune
Little Fortune is an ink print by the Northern Renaissance artist Albrecht Dürer. It dates from 1496 and is held in the collection of the British Museum.
About this work
Overview
Albrecht Dürer’s engraving titled Little Fortune, executed around 1496 on laid paper, presents a compact allegorical composition. The work measures modestly, typical of early printmaking, and showcases Dürer’s precise handling of line to render a solitary figure against a plain background.
Subject & Meaning
The central figure is Fortuna, the Roman personification of chance, poised upon a spherical object that suggests the ever‑turning wheel of fate. She clutches a flowing cloak, her expression austere, conveying the unpredictable and impartial nature of luck that governs human affairs.
Technique & Style
Created through the intaglio engraving process, Dürer incised fine, controlled lines into a copper plate, then transferred the image onto laid paper. The work exemplifies the meticulous line work and tonal modulation characteristic of late‑15th‑century German prints, revealing the artist’s mastery of shading and texture without reliance on color.
History & Provenance
Little Fortune belongs to Dürer’s early print output, produced shortly after his apprenticeship in Nuremberg. While specific ownership records are sparse, the engraving has been documented in several European collections since the 16th century, reflecting its circulation among connoisseurs of the period’s graphic art.
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)
