Art Institute of Chicago

The Arms of the Family Kress von Kressenstein

Nuremberg School

Date

after 1530

Medium

Woodcut on ivory laid paper

Culture

Germany

Department

Prints and Drawings

Institution

Art Institute of Chicago

The authorship of this massive and vivid woodcut coat of arms has long eluded scholars. The crowning peacock feathers are an armorial augmentation bestowed on the family by Emperor Charles V in 1530. They prove that the famous Albrecht Dürer, who died in 1528, did not create the print. Indeed, the Nuremberg Kress family likely commissioned this ephemeral shield from one of his followers. The print was meant to be painted; the Kress heraldic colors included red, silver, and black. The dagger superimposed on the main shield would have been particularly striking against a rich red and silver filigreed backdrop.

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