2586 - Albrecht Dürer

Albrecht Dürer Saint Hubert—Saint Eustace Copperplate engraving on handmade paper with a “single-headed eagle” watermark (Meder 224) Numbered 216 on the lower left of the reverse Framed 35.5 × 25.8 cm Private collection, Switzerland Bartsch 57; Schoch/Mende/Scherbaum 32; Meder 60 k (by K) Sheet dated after 1600. Partially browned and stained. A few tiny holes. A few thin areas reinforced with backing. The copperplate engraving by Albrecht Dürer depicts Saint Eustace, who is regarded in Christian tradition as the patron saint of hunters. Iconographically, he bears clear parallels to Saint Hubert, as both saints are associated with the vision of a stag bearing a crucifix between its antlers. This thematic similarity led to their depictions sometimes overlapping or being linked to one another. The veneration of both saints has been widespread since the late Middle Ages; both are still venerated today as patron saints of hunting. According to the *Legenda aurea*, the conversion of the Roman general Placidus to Saint Eustace takes place while hunting: A cross appears to him in the stag’s antlers—precisely the moment that Dürer captures on the sheet. Yet what truly sets this sheet apart is not only the religious narrative but also what is happening around it. The four hunting dogs in the foreground are drawn with such rich detail and individuality that they appear almost lifelike. Even Vasari, the great Renaissance art historian, praised the beauty of Dürer’s dogs. The horse’s coat, the grass, the trees in the background: Dürer used a simple engraving burin to create a world of breathtaking detail. The depiction of Saint Eustace quickly became a canonical model for printmaking and was subsequently disseminated, copied, and reprinted across generations. Call date: November 27, 2026 Approximate call time: 6:28 p.m. CET