The Temptation of the Idler (The Dream of the Doctor)
c. 1498
Medium
Engraving in black on ivory laid paper
Dimensions
18.8 × 11.9 cm (7 7/16 × 4 11/16 in.)
Classification
engraving
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
43233
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
The German proverb “Idleness is the Devil’s pillow” is the subject of this print. While the doctor is asleep at the stove, the devil blows wicked ideas in his ear, which take the form of a naked woman. Born in Nuremberg, the print center of Europe, Albrecht Dürer sought out the work of master engravers to deepen his knowledge, including Martin Schongauer and the Master of the Housebook, whose prints are displayed nearby (1938.1825 and 1958.299). In this work, Dürer surpasses his predecessors in...
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 ...