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DÜRER, Albrecht: Emperor Charlemagne and Emperor Sigismund

🖼 Emperor Charlemagne and Emperor Sigismund, c. 1512
Oil and tempera on panel (each, including frame)
215 × 115 cm
Nuremberg, Germany

Richly robed imperial figures stand in formal splendor, rendered with Dürer's precise linework and intricate detail against gold backgrounds. This woodcut honors Nuremberg's imperial tradition, celebrating the city's role hosting emperors and affirming German sovereignty through portraiture of two of history's greatest rulers.

The story of art
The story of art
E. H. Gombrich
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