Skip to content

DÜRER, Albrecht: Rape of Proserpina

🖼 Rape of Proserpina, 1516
Etching
393 × 230 cm
Copenhagen, Denmark

Violent chaos erupts across the composition as Pluto on horseback seizes the terrified Proserpina, her attendants scattering in horror rendered through intricate detail and dynamic diagonal movement. Dürer's 1516 engraving transforms classical mythology into psychological drama, establishing the Northern Renaissance mastery of printmaking and emotional intensity that challenged Italian artistic dominance.

The story of art
The story of art
E. H. Gombrich
tap to buy ↗
We recommend Bookshop.org — supports independent bookstores
We recommend Bookshop.org — supports independent bookstores