372 - Albrecht Dürer (1471 – Nuremberg – 1528), The Siege of a Fortress.

Albrecht Dürer (1471 – Nuremberg – 1528), The Siege of a Fortress. Woodcut printed from two blocks, on two sheets of laid paper, “Small Bear” watermark (Meder 95). (1527). Overall 22.5 x 71.9 cm (sheet). Bartsch 137; Meder 272 single sheets, a (of g); Schoch/Mende/Scherbaum 260 a, 1st Edition. A fine, rare Meder “a” impression, trimmed to or just within the borderline in places. *The Siege of a Fortress* is generally considered to have been conceived in connection with Dürer’s treatise on fortification, published in Nuremberg in 1527. Although this monumental woodcut was not included in the treatise, it illustrates a scenario described therein: the siege of a heavily fortified town, protected by a wide moat and massive reinforced walls. While the towns in the distance are already ablaze, the formidable defenses of the fortress demonstrate how a properly fortified city might withstand an advancing army. It is one of Dürer’s final printed works, produced shortly before his death in April 1528. – The paper is slightly stained. Horizontal and vertical smoothed creases, with numerous restorations and pen-and-ink additions, particularly in the margins. A vertical restored area running through the center of the image, carefully repaired and retouched in pen and ink. Otherwise in good condition. Taxation: subject to standard taxation (VAT: Regular Taxation).