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The Promenade
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
Balancing an hourglass on his head, Death stalks this fashionable couple strolling in the countryside. When Dürer created this print, figures of Death were moral reminders that life was brief, and they were also associated with the dangers of carnal desire. The improper placement of the man’s sword betrays his dishonorable intentions, while the woman’s bonnet signifies her married status. Their liaison is not innocent, but one of sinful infidelity.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit lineThe Promenade, c. 1497. Albrecht Dürer (German, 1471–1528). Engraving; image: 19.4 x 12 cm (7 5/8 x 4 3/4 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, John L. Severance Fund, 1953.139
