The Arms of the Family Kress von Kressenstein
Nuremberg School
after 1530
Medium
Woodcut on ivory laid paper
Dimensions
32.2 × 27 cm (12 11/16 × 10 11/16 in.)
Classification
woodcut
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
2292
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
The authorship of this massive and vivid woodcut coat of arms has long eluded scholars. The crowning peacock feathers are an armorial augmentation bestowed on the family by Emperor Charles V in 1530. They prove that the famous Albrecht Dürer, who died in 1528, did not create the print. Indeed, the Nuremberg Kress family likely commissioned this ephemeral shield from one of his followers. The print was meant to be painted; the Kress heraldic colors included red, silver, and black. The dagger supe...