Details
ALBRECHT DÜRER (1471-1528)
The Dream of the Doctor
engraving, circa 1498, on laid paper, watermark Bull's Head (Meder 62), a very good Meder a impression, printing with strong contrasts, trimmed to or fractionally into the subject, the sheet probably thinly backed, the paper slightly toned, generally in good condition
Sheet 184 x 117 mm.

Provenance:
Albert W. Blum (1882-1952), Switzerland and Short Hills, New Jersey (Lugt 79 b)

References:
Bartsch, Hollstein 76
Meder 70
Schoch, Mende, Scherbaum 18

Please note this lot is the property of a private collector.
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Lot Essay



Resting on soft cushions by a stove, a man has fallen asleep, whilst a devil or demon blows sinful thoughts into his ear. In his lustful dreams, Venus herself tempts him while little Amor tries to walk on stilts and has cast aside a toy ball. The moral lessons are obvious: sloth leads to lust, and love is fickle. The so-called Dream of the Doctor is a secular version of the Fall of Man, complete with the apple resting on the stove, and Venus is closely related to Eve in the famous engraving of Adam and Eve. There is a charm and light-heartedness about this print which does not quite seem to support the moral rigour of its message.

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