Emily Chan
His work influenced other renowned artists, such as Raphael and Titian. Dürer did create paintings, but he was best known for his copper-plate engravings.
At the museum, Spencer collaborated with experts to analyze the print. After comparing it to three other examples in the museum’s collection, they concluded it was an authentic Dürer piece.
It was titled “Knight, Death and the Devil (1513),” one of three of his master engravings. The other two are “Melencolia I (1514)” and “St. Jerome in His Study (1514).”
The 1513 illustration portrays a knight riding on top of a muscular horse. There was also a sickly figure that represented death, carrying an hourglass. The figure was followed by a devil that looked like a goat.
The detail that confirmed the work’s value was a tiny, faint scratch that ran across the head of the knight’s horse.
The imperfection was the result of an accidental scratch on the copper plate prior to printing and was later fixed.
“It’s the most important print I’ve ever cataloged and offered for sale,” said Spencer. “It was pasted down on a mount, probably around 1900, which will affect the value, but it’s a really nice impression with great clarity and contrasts, which is a massive bonus. In excellent, unmounted condition, this is a print that can command sums close to £200,000 [more than $260,000].”
