Feminae: Medieval Women and Gender Index



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  • Title: Sea Monster
  • Creator: Durer, Albrecht, artist
  • Description: Sea Monster also known as Das Meerwunder is a print showing a sea creature swimming quickly away from the shore of a beautiful and detailed castle. The strange sea creature is half-human and half-fish and has a single horn that projects out of his forehead. He holds a turtle-shell shield and jawbone in his left hand. His right hand is clutched gently, but firmly around the upper arm of a nude maiden who is stretched out sensuously on the length of his tail. Her body is statuesque, idealized, and turned for the pleasure of the viewer. Her elaborate headdress which signifies noble status also enhances her beauty. She has just been abducted from the women that she was bathing with, and she sadly looks back at them on the shore. The maiden’s left arm shines brightly against the sea monster’s dark skin, and her hand gestures to his fin-like genitals, signifying the rape that will result from the abduction. Although the scene depicted in this print is reminiscent of abduction scenes from classical mythology, it does not illustrate any particular story. Its lack of specificity suggests that it was produced on speculation for the market. Durer’s incorporation of mythological elements, the reminiscent tone of the print, and references to basic concerns such as temptation all would have been attractive to potential consumers.
  • Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art
  • Rights: Public domain
  • Subject (See Also): Kidnapping Monsters Mythology Rape Virginity
  • Geographic Area: Germany
  • Century: 15
  • Date: 1498
  • Related Work:
  • Current Location: Washington D.C., National Gallery of Art, Rosenwald Collection, 1943.3.3483
  • Original Location: Nuremberg
  • Artistic Type (Category): Digital Images; Prints;
  • Artistic Type (Material/Technique): Engravings
  • Donor:
  • Height/Width/Length(cm): 24.7 cm/28.8 cm/
  • Inscription:
  • Related Resources: Strieder, Peter. The Hidden Durer. Chicago : Rand McNally Co. 1978. pg. 40; Smith, Jeffery Chipps and Albrecht Durer. Durer. London. New York: Phaidon. 2012. pg. 107-108; Du¨rer, Albrecht, et al. The Essential Du¨rer. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press. 2010. pg. 39, 105, 123