Minneapolis Institute of Art

Large Triumphal Carriage of Maximilian I

Albrecht Dürer; Woodcutter: Hieronymous Andreae; Author: Willibald Pirckheimer

Date

probably finished c. 1518 (published 1522)

Medium

Woodcut and letterpress

Department

European Art

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

Dürer's magnificent allegorical design for the Imperial chariot was originally commissioned in 1512 as the centerpiece of Maximilian's Triumphal Procession, one of the most ambitious projects in the history of the graphic arts. Dürer's elaborately embellished carriage was intended to form the climax of the entire procession, showering the Emperor in personal glory, while underscoring his dynastic power. The final fully elaborated drawing for the woodcut was completed only in 1518, and the woodcut remained unfinished at the time of the Emperor's death in 1519. In 1522, Dürer published the Triumphal Chariot himself as an independent woodcut dedicated to the Emperors Maximilian and Charles V. The print differs from the original design in the addition of printed text explaining the various symbolism of the work and a short history of its production. Dürer also omitted the Emperor's family from the composition, for after Maximilian's death it seemed fitting to interpret his triumph, not as a dynastic manifesto but as a personal apotheosis. Germany, Europe

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