Four Naked Women

Four Naked Women by Albrecht Dürer, created in 1497, is a foundational piece in the history of German Renaissance prints. This detailed early engraving showcases the artist's burgeoning mastery of the burin, the specialized tool used to incise the image into the copper plate. The technique allowed Dürer to achieve remarkable tonal complexity and line precision, thereby elevating the status of printmaking from mere reproduction to a high art form. Executed shortly after Dürer’s first journey to Italy, this work reflects his intense study of the classical ideals of human form and proportion, a hallmark of Renaissance humanism mediated through the Northern European lens.

The central subject matter consists of four standing female nudes gathered closely around a mysterious orb, frequently identified as the Golden Apple of Discord. This reading links the figures to classical mythologies, potentially the Judgment of Paris, though interpretations have also suggested they represent the four temperaments or the four seasons. Dürer’s complex composition presents the female bodies in various poses, including frontal views and strict profiles, demonstrating the artist’s systematic interest in anatomical study. This masterful print, officially titled Four Naked Women, is held in the expansive collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and remains a crucial reference point for understanding the integration of classical themes into late 15th-century German visual culture. Today, high-quality prints of this significant Dürer piece are often available for educational study and reference in the public domain.