Melencolia, Albrecht Dürer; Johan Wierix

Exhibition Label:
"Cryptograph: An Exhibition for Alan Turing," Mar-2012, Stephen Goddard
Attempts to interpret this composition, conceived by the German renaissance artist and humanist, Albrecht Dürer (and seen here in an excellent copy of the print by Jan Wierix) have generated vast amounts of scholarly discussion. In the mid-20th century, German art historian Erwin Panofsky called it “in a sense a spiritual self-portrait” of Dürer. Indeed, the interests and practices of the original engraver invite such a reading. As both an artist and mathematician, Dürer 41 produced work that was informed by his belief that beauty was dependent on a system of measurement. He wrote that “the measurements of the earth, the waters, and the stars have come to be understood through painting.” The ancient concept of ideal proportions relates to the modern field of mathematical biology, where mathematical tools aid the understanding of non-linear biological mechanisms. Just before engraving Melencolia I, however, Dürer conceded that no mathematical system could sufficiently define beauty. Panofsky states that, like the personification of Geometry with her tools of measurement, Dürer reached a melancholic state because he suffered from the limits of the human mind. He yearned for a mathematical theory that would overcome the shortcomings of his own intellect. Despite numerous attempts at identifying the key to unlocking its meaning, the work remains enigmatic. LJW

Archive Label 2003:
The Wierix family of engravers was among the most skilled of Dürer’s copyists. Johann and Hieronymus Wierix in particular took on the challenge of copying some of Dürer’s most daunting engravings, including the three “master engravings.” Comparing a Wierix copy with a Dürer original line by line suggests near perfect copying. However, when viewed at a slight distance the copy often reveals itself by a general sense of tightness and over-crispness alien to Dürer’s more fluid compositions.