Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art

About this Work

Since prints are made as multiples, museums occasionally acquire duplicate copies of the same image for educational purposes. Viewed side by side, they demonstrate how the quality of an impression declines as the plate or block gradually deteriorates after each use. The best impressions are almost always the earliest ones, which boast rich tonal contrasts and iridescent passages of ink that connoisseurs often describe as “very fine.” Slightly later impressions, like this one, will often exhibit at least some loss, apparent in faded or uneven ink, as well as in lines that appear somewhat drier or flatter. The Eskenazi Museum is fortunate to have many superb impressions of Dürer’s prints, particularly his engravings.