Coat of Arms of Maximilian I as King of the Romans
c. 1517
Medium
Woodcut in black on ivory laid paper
Dimensions
Image: 23.3 × 15 cm (9 3/16 × 5 15/16 in.); Sheet: 26.4 × 17.3 cm (10 7/16 × 6 13/16 in.)
Classification
woodcut
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
2296
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
This double-sided book illustration presents the heraldry of the soon-to-be Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian, Albrecht Dürer’s patron. The chain of stylized flints and firebrands with a dangling sheepskin denotes the Emperor’s membership in the exceedingly prestigious Order of the Golden Fleece, while the central eagles and griffins refer to his various territories. The shield of the author Florian Waldauff appears on the verso, in a woodcut also not by Dürer. Evidently the recto block wore out in ...
Art Historical Context
Albrecht Dürer, the masterful German artist of the Northern Renaissance, created this striking woodcut around 1517, capturing the majestic Coat of Arms of Maximilian as King of the Romans Printed in bold black ink on fine ivory laid paper, the image (23.3 × 15 cm) exemplifies Dürer's revolutionary approach to printmaking. Woodcuts, carved into wood blocks and pressed onto paper, allowed for detailed, reproducible art that democratized fine imagery during the Renaissance, bridging elite patronage with wider audiences. Maximilian I (1459–1519), elected King of the Romans in 1486 and crowned Holy Roman Emperor in 1508, used heraldry like this to proclaim imperial power and lineage. Dürer, a frequent collaborator with Maximilian—who commissioned grand projects like the massive *Triumphal Arch*—infused the design with intricate shading, fine lines, and symbolic flourishes, elevating the functional coat of arms into a work of high artistry. The eagle, shields, and crowns evoke the Holy Roman Empire's vast domains. Housed in the Art Institute of Chicago's Prints and Drawings Department, this piece highlights Dürer's technical prowess and the era's fusion of politics, symbolism, and innovation. Visitors can appreciate how such prints preserved imperial glory long after Maximilian's reign, influencing graphic arts for centuries.
About the Artist
Albrecht Dürer · 1471–1528
Albrecht Dürer (1471–1528) stands as the preeminent figure of the Northern Renaissance and arguably the most influential artist in the history of printmaking. Born in Nuremberg on May 21, 1471, and dying in the same city on April 6, 1528, Dürer revolutionized the status of the artist in Northern Europe, transforming printmaking from a commercial craft into an independent fine art and establishing ...