Artwork
The Little Courier
The Little Courier is an ink print by the Northern Renaissance artist Albrecht Dürer. It dates from 1496 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Created around 1496, The Little Courier is an early print by the German artist Albrecht Dürer. Executed as an engraving on laid paper, the work measures a modest size and is presently part of the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.
Subject & Meaning
The image depicts a lone rider galloping through a shallow stream, his bow drawn and arrow nocked. He wears a fur‑trimmed hat and a simple tunic, suggesting the role of a messenger or courier traversing a rugged landscape. The composition emphasizes speed and urgency, characteristic of a communication figure in the late medieval world.
Technique & Style
Dürer employed the engraving medium, incising fine lines into a copper plate that were then transferred onto laid paper. The dense network of hatching creates subtle tonal variations, rendering the water’s surface, the horse’s musculature, and the rider’s garments with remarkable clarity. The precision of the line work reflects Dürer’s early mastery of printmaking.
History & Provenance
The print has survived in good condition for more than five centuries and entered the National Gallery of Art’s holdings through acquisition in the 20th century. Its early date places it among Dürer’s formative works, produced shortly after his apprenticeship and before his later, more complex engravings.
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)
