Landscape with a Cannon

Landscape with a Cannon is an innovative etching created by Albrecht Dürer in 1518. This pivotal work is one of the artist's relatively few pure landscape studies executed as a single-sheet print and is noted as existing in state i/iii. While Dürer is perhaps best known for his meticulous copperplate engravings, this piece showcases his experimental adoption of the etching process, utilizing iron plates to achieve a more fluid and immediate line quality suited to capturing natural scenery.

The composition presents a detailed panoramic view stretching across plains and forests, punctuated by clusters of small, recognizable houses in the distance. This seemingly tranquil, masterful landscape is dramatically anchored and interrupted by the imposing presence of a large military cannon dominating the lower foreground. The juxtaposition of the serene, open vistas with the heavy machinery suggests a complex commentary on human industry, power, and the integration of military technology into everyday life during the German Renaissance.

Several small men are positioned near the massive gun, providing a sense of scale and subtly incorporating human figures into the narrative. Dürer’s pioneering techniques in printmaking elevated the status of the medium, demonstrating that fine art prints could capture the same psychological depth and technical skill traditionally associated with painting. This historic artwork resides in the renowned collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. As a classic work produced during the 16th century, high-resolution images of this print are often made available through public domain archives, allowing broad access to Dürer’s significant contributions to the art of etching.