300 - Albrecht Dürer (1471 – Nuremberg – 1528), *The Ill-Assorted Couple*.

Albrecht Dürer (1471 – Nuremberg – 1528), *The Ill-Assorted Couple*. Engraving on laid paper. (c. 1495). 15.1 x 13.8 cm (sheet). Bartsch 93; Meder 77 c (of III); Schoch/Mende/Scherbaum 3 I c–d (of III). A good, rich Meder I c impression, printing clearly and with a light plate tone. The mountains in the background are clearly visible, while the vertical lines in front of the horse—characteristic of Meder c impressions—are still present. With a fine narrow margin below; otherwise trimmed to the platemark. One of Dürer’s earliest engravings depicts a seemingly idyllic encounter between a young woman and an older man. Their gestures, however, reveal a transactional relationship: the man takes a coin from his purse and offers it to the woman. The contrast between her fashionable dress and his old-fashioned costume adds a satirical note. The motif of the unequal couple belongs to a long literary and visual tradition and became increasingly popular in the late 15th century. – Mounted overall on fine Japanese paper. A paper loss and a backed tear at the left edge, with associated additions in black ink. The tip of the right corner has been repaired. A backed paper defect and a brown spot in the sky. A restored paper loss at the upper edge, with the border skillfully retouched with pen and ink. The paper is slightly browned, with a brown spot on the young woman’s dress. A closed tear at the right edge. Otherwise in good condition. Taxation: subject to differential taxation (VAT: Margin Scheme).