Melencolia I

from the sources

• Melencolia I is a large engraving made by Albrecht Dürer in 1514. en.wikipedia.org

  “Melencolia I is a large 1514 engraving by the German Renaissance artist Albrecht Dürer.”

• The print exists in two states, and the first state shows the number nine in the magic square reversed. en.wikipedia.org

  “The print has two states; in the first, the number nine in the magic square appears backward, but in the second, more common impressions it is a somewhat odd-looking regular nine.”

• The magic square in the engraving is the first one printed in Europe, and two cells in its bottom row give the date 1514. en.wikipedia.org

  “On the face of the building is a 4×4 magic square—the first printed in Europe—with the two middle cells of the bottom row giving the date of the engraving, 1514, which is also seen above Dürer's monogram at bottom right.”

• Dürer's friend and first biographer Joachim Camerarius wrote the earliest account of the engraving in 1541. en.wikipedia.org

  “Dürer's friend and first biographer Joachim Camerarius wrote the earliest account of the engraving in 1541.”

• Panofsky argued that the print combines the traditional iconographies of melancholy and geometry, both governed by Saturn. en.wikipedia.org

  “According to Panofsky, who wrote about the print three times between 1923 and 1964, Melencolia I combines the traditional iconographies of melancholy and geometry, both governed by Saturn.”

• The National Gallery of Victoria's impression is a rare first state, before the reversed 9 in the grid was corrected. artsandculture.google.com

  “This is the very rare first state, before the reversed ‘9’ in the grid was corrected.”

• The National Gallery of Victoria's impression was in Sir Thomas Barlow's collection in Manchester and was purchased for the Felton Bequest in 1956. artsandculture.google.com

  “Collection of Sir Thomas Barlow (1883–1964), Manchester; from whom purchased for the Felton Bequest, 1956”

• The National Gallery of Victoria says Dürer's depiction drew on the Renaissance humanist belief that melancholy was linked to exceptional creativity. artsandculture.google.com

  “Dürer’s representation was based upon the belief current in Renaissance humanist circles that melancholy was associated not so much with depression and madness as with exceptional creativity.”