03 — ARTWORK
Large Horse
- MEDIUM
- Engraving, 167 x 119 mm
- TYPE
- Other
PALETTE
HOVER OR TAP A SWATCH FOR NAME, SHARE AND HEX. SAMPLED FROM THE IMAGE — INDICATIVE, NOT A PIGMENT ANALYSIS.
THIS REPRODUCTION
DOWNLOAD THE FULL FILE ↓
CURRENT LOCATION · Staatliche Kunsthalle
- FILE
- 706 × 991 px · JPEG
COMMENTARY
UNDERLINED TERMS ARE DEFINED IN THE GLOSSARY.
The Large Horse dates from the same year as the Small Horse, and is also connected with Dürer's studies of proportionin painting, sculpture and architecture, the ratio between the respective parts and the whole work. The following are important: 1. the Canon of Proportion, a mathematical formula establishing ideal proportions of the various parts of the human body. The unit of measurement is usually the relationship of the head to the torso (1:7 or 1:10); 2. the golden section, a line C divided into a small section A and a larger section B, so that A:B are in the same relationship as B:C; 3. the quadrature, which uses the square as a unit of measurement; 4. triangulation, which uses an equilateral triangle in order to determine important points in the construction; and 5. harmonic proportions, an analogy with the way sounds are produced on stringed instruments, for example an octave = 1:2 (the difference in pitch between two strings, one half the length of the other), a fifth = 2:3, a fourth = 3:4.. The monumental size of his body, stable position and calm expression present us with a balanced temperament. The extreme foreshortening of the horse's body, the flat architectural backdrop in the background and the raised ground on which the animal is standing with its hind hooves all increase the impression of monumental size. While the horse is standing calmly and firmly on the ground, the warrior with him is depicted striding energetically. A drawing in the city library of Nuremberg indicates that the large horse was based on a proportional scheme.
OTHER WORKS BY ALBRECHT DÜRER
CITE THIS RECORD — BIBTEX
@online{wga-r4cdea525edecf1,
author = {Krén, Emil and Marx, Daniel},
title = {Large Horse by DÜRER, Albrecht},
organization = {{Web Gallery of Art}},
date = {2026-09-13},
url = {https://beta.wga.hu/artists/drer-albrecht-r9b10ff91cb62c2/large-horse-r4cdea525edecf1},
urldate = {2026-09-13},
langid = {english}
}ACCESSED 2026-09-13. REPLACE THE AUTHOR FIELD WITH THE COMMENTARY AUTHOR WHERE ONE IS NAMED.