Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528) The Penance of St. John Chrysostom

Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528)

The Penance of St. John Chrysostom

Engraving, 1496, an excellent Meder c-d impression on laid paper without watermark, printing with depth and clarity, inky edges and delicate wiping marks in the upper corners, trimmed to or just within the platemark, sheet 182 x 119mm (7 1/8 x 4 3/4in) (unframed)

Provenance:

Count Nikolai Rumyantsev (1754-1826);

Rumyantsev Museum, Moscow [L. 5364];

Anonymous sale

Literature:

Bartsch 63; Meder 54; S.M.S. 7

⁂ Based on the medieval legend, St. John Chrysostom can be seen crawling in the distance following his vow not to rise from the ground until he had made amends for his sins; notably the attempted murder of a princess who he impregnated. For years he lived like a beast, crawling on all fours and feeding on wild grasses and roots. It was said that the saint's infant child miraculously spoke and pardoned the hermit.