We don’t have an image of this object online yet. V&A Images may have a photograph that we can’t show online, but it may be possible to supply one to you. Email us at vaimages@vam.ac.uk for guidance about fees and timescales, quoting the accession number: E.4625-1910
Find out about our images

Image of Gallery in South Kensington
Request to view at the Prints & Drawings Study Room, level D , Case EL, Shelf 82, Box D

The Cook and His Wife

Print
ca. 1496 (engraved)
Artist/Maker
Durer (artist)
Place of origin
Nuremberg (engraved)

Engraving by Albrecht Dürer, 'The Cook and His Wife'; ca. 1496, German. Inscribed with artist's monogram. Illustration of the tale of the cook and his wife from Geoffrey de la Tour Landry's 'Der Ritter vom Turn'. A well-fleshed cook, holding the accoutrements of his trade, stands with his wife, who gives a sidelong glance at the viewer. Between them, a magpie whispers into the cook's ears; the cook's head is turned towards the bird with his expression registering surprise.


Object details

Category
Prints
Object type
Print
TitleThe Cook and His Wife (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Engraving print on paper
Printing Ink
Paper
Engraving
Brief description
The Cook and his Wife by Albrecht Durer (1471-1528); engraving
Physical description
Engraving by Albrecht Dürer, 'The Cook and His Wife'; ca. 1496, German. Inscribed with artist's monogram. Illustration of the tale of the cook and his wife from Geoffrey de la Tour Landry's 'Der Ritter vom Turn'. A well-fleshed cook, holding the accoutrements of his trade, stands with his wife, who gives a sidelong glance at the viewer. Between them, a magpie whispers into the cook's ears; the cook's head is turned towards the bird with his expression registering surprise.
Dimensions
  • Height: 11cm
  • Width: 7.9cm
Style
Northern Renaissance
Marks and inscriptions
'AD' (Inscribed in the plate with the artist's monogram at bottom middle)
Credit line
Salting Bequest
Subjects depicted
Cooks
Married Couples
Magpies
Spouses
Associated objects
Bibliographic references
  • Strauss, Walter L., ed. The Illustrated Bartsch 10 (Commentary): Sixteenth Century German Artists, Albrecht Dürer. New York: Abaris Books, 1980. 328 p., ill. ISBN 089835000X. No.84, pp.187-189.
  • Heller, Joseph. Das Leben und die Werke Albrecht Dürer. Bamberg: 1827. Vols. 2 & 3 (vol. 1 was not published). No.963.
  • Meder, Joseph. Dürer-Katalog: Ein Handbuch über Albrecht Dürers Stiche, Radierungen, Holzschnitte, deren Zustände, Ausgaben und Wasserzeichen. Vienna, 1932. No.85.
  • Dodgson, Campbell. Albrecht Dürer, Numerical Catalogue of the Engravings, Etchings, Dry-Points with Technical Details. London 1926. No.17.
  • Tietze, Hans and Erika Tietze-Conrat. Kritisches Verzeichnis der Werke Albrecht Dürers. Vol. 1, Augsburg 1928; vol.2, Basel and Leipzig 1937; vol.3, Basel and Leipzig, 1938. No.184.
  • Panofsky, Erwin. Albrecht Dürer. Princeton 1943. (Addenda in the editions of 1945 and 1948). No.191.
  • Strauss, W.L. The Intaglio Prints of Albrecht Dürer . New York, 1977.
  • Victoria and Albert Museum, Department of Engraving, Illustration and Design, Accessions 1910, London, Printed for His Majesty’s Stationery Office 1911
Other number
B.84 - Le Peintre-Graveur
Collection
Prints, Drawings & Paintings Collection
Accession number
E.4625-1910

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest feedback

Record createdJune 30, 2009
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O781153/the-cook-and-his-wife-print-durer/
Download as: JSON