The Ill-Assorted Couple

The Ill-Assorted Couple is a profound engraving created by Albrecht Dürer between 1495 and 1496. Executed meticulously on laid paper, this work is a seminal example of the technical mastery Dürer brought to the classification of fine art prints during the pivotal period of 1401 to 1500. Having returned to Nuremberg from his first Italian journey, Dürer quickly established himself as the foremost German artist utilizing the relatively new medium of copperplate engraving to achieve unprecedented levels of detail and psychological complexity in graphic art.

This piece addresses the popular Renaissance motif of the "Unequal Lovers," a theme often used in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries where the contrast between youth and age, or beauty and decay, served as a moralizing commentary on earthly vanity, often involving the exchange of wealth for affection. Dürer’s precise handling of the engraving burin allows for intricate textures in the clothing and expressive facial characterization, making the scene both immediate and psychologically charged. The proliferation of such prints allowed complex cultural discussions about morality and social hierarchies to be distributed widely across Europe.

As a foundational figure of the German Renaissance, Dürer’s innovative approach to line work and composition set standards for printmakers that lasted centuries. This significant early work is held in the renowned collection of the National Gallery of Art, contributing significantly to the institution's holdings of early European prints. Due to the age and significance of the original material, high-resolution reproductions of these foundational Dürer prints are frequently made available in the public domain, allowing students and art lovers worldwide to study the groundbreaking graphic work of this influential master.