Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art

About this Work

A roiling curtain of cloud accompanies the winged figure of Nemesis as she glides over the tidy Alpine rooftops of Klausen. Visual models for this ancient goddess of fortune were scarce, prompting Dürer to consult a late medieval poem by Florentine Angelo Poliziano for inspiration. There, Nemesis is described wielding bridle and goblet while f loating aloft upon an orb. Dürer was one of the first artists to make systematic study of the female nude, even designing a proportional system specific to a woman’s body. Nemesis exudes a regal, imposing stature, the result of early experimentation with canons of proportion. Her body is also modeled on common northern topoi signifying fertility, including her wide hips and distinctly pear-shaped torso. As a figure, she is neither idealized nor naturalistic.