King David doing Penance (B. 119; M., Holl. 108; S.M.S. 151)

Details

Albrecht Dürer
King David doing Penance (B. 119; M., Holl. 108; S.M.S. 151)
woodcut, 1510, a fine Meder a impression of this rare print, showing a few tiny gaps in the borderline not described by Meder, watermark Narrow High Crown with City Gate, trimmed to or on the borderline, in excellent condition
B., S. 196 x 132 mm.

Provenance

Friedrich August II, King of Saxony (L. 971).
A. L. Blum (L.79 b).

Special Notice

No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 15% will be added to the buyer's premium which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis.

Sale Room Notice

Please note that the provenance should read: 'A.W. Blum' not 'A.L. Blum' as stated.

Lot Essay

Joseph Meder believed this to be a depiction of King David. However, on the basis of the similar physiognomy of the Penitent with the severed head on the two woodcuts devoted to Saint John the Baptist (see lot 88 and 89) and the similar dimensions of all three prints, it has also been suggested that the subject is Saint John. The complete lack of any attributes makes it impossible however to determine his identity of this figure with any certainty. Undoubtedly, the print must be seen in the context of the practise of self-flagellation as a widespread form of private devotion and Imitatio Christi in the early 16th Century.
The present lot is a particularly fine impression from the collection of Friedrich August II, King of Saxony.

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