Apollo and Diana

The engraving Apollo and Diana by Albrecht Dürer, executed around 1503-1504, is a defining example of early 16th-century German graphic art. This highly detailed print demonstrates Dürer’s technical brilliance in handling the burin, employing precise lines and dense cross-hatching to create a sense of three-dimensionality and varying textures across the scene. The subtle gradations of tone achieved through this technique were instrumental in raising the status of engraving as a fine art form during the Renaissance.

The subject matter draws directly from classical mythology, featuring the twin Olympian deities, Apollo and Diana, children of Zeus and Leto. Apollo, the god of prophecy and light, stands alongside his sister, Diana, the goddess associated with the hunt and the moon. Their identities are reinforced by the inclusion of their traditional attributes: both figures carry the bow and arrow, symbolizing their roles as celestial archers. Dürer renders the nude figures with a focus on idealized human form, reflecting the artist’s deep engagement with classical proportion and anatomy, which he studied during his trips to Italy.

Produced during a period of prolific output for the master, the widespread distribution of Dürer's prints ensured that his sophisticated artistic language influenced peers across Europe. The superb detail and narrative clarity present in works such as Apollo and Diana confirm Dürer’s standing as one of history’s most important printmakers. This notable example of Renaissance engraving is housed within the comprehensive prints and drawings collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.