Dürer - Abduction on horseback [1516] -

Albrecht Dürer -

Abduction on horseback [1516] -

A study for Dürer's etching of 1516 "The Abduction on a Unicorn"

The Morgan Library & Museum I, 257a

www.themorgan.org/drawings/item/144285

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The Abduction on Horseback [1516]

 

The Abduction on Horseback is a 1516 pen-and-ink drawing by German Renaissance master Albrecht Dürer, now held in the Morgan Library & Museum (inventory number I 257a). The composition captures a dramatic mythological or allegorical scene of a man seizing a woman on horseback, rendered with Dürer’s meticulous draftsmanship and dynamic line.

 

Key facts

Artist: Albrecht Dürer

Date: 1516

Medium: Pen and brown ink on paper

Dimensions: Approximately 19 × 24 cm

Collection: Morgan Library & Museum, New York (I 257a)

 

Composition and style

Executed near the end of Dürer’s mature period, the drawing demonstrates his command of movement and anatomy. The horse rears energetically as the rider grasps the abducted figure, creating a swirling sense of tension. Dürer’s precise ink work defines musculature, folds of drapery, and the emotional intensity of the figures with remarkable clarity.

 

Subject and interpretation

The drawing’s exact subject remains uncertain—scholars have linked it to classical abduction myths such as the Rape of Persephone or the Rape of the Sabine Women. Others view it as an allegory of passion or violence rather than a depiction of a specific narrative. Its ambiguity contributes to its enduring scholarly interest.

 

Provenance and significance

The sheet entered the Morgan Library’s collection in the early 20th century and is recognized as one of Dürer’s key works on mythological themes. It illustrates his synthesis of Northern linear precision with the expressive dynamism of Italian Renaissance art. The drawing’s small scale belies its dramatic power, offering insight into Dürer’s exploration of human emotion and movement through line alone.

 

It is now generally acknowlegded, that this drawing is a preparatory study for Dürers engraving of the same year, now known as „Abduction on a Unicorn“.

 

 

 

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