Albrecht Dürer

A very good Meder d-e impression, printing clearly, with good contrasts; with the scratch on the left arm of the sleeping man. A fine margin on two sides, cut slighty within the plate mark on the others. This 15th-century engraving presents a scene that is both humorous and morally charged. A corpulent man, seemingly of considerable means, dozes beside the warmth of a stove – a spot popularly referred to as the “hell bench“, not without reason. Behind him, a devilish demon whispers unchaste fantasies into his ear, using a bellows in a suggestive gesture. At the centre of his dream appears a nude female figure with flowing hair, depicted in a classically inspired contrapposto pose. She is unmistakably Venus, the goddess of love. In the lower left corner, Cupid teeters unsteadily on stilts – a witty detail that underscores the precarious nature of desire. Despite its misleading title, The Doctor’s Dream is less concerned with medicine than with morality. The message is clear: “Idleness is the root of all vice.” This engraving serves as a vivid warning against the temptations of sloth and the moral decay that comes with idleness. Slightly time-stained along the edges and with isolated tiny brown spots. The lower right corner tip is backed. Verso with remnants and traces of a former mounting. Otherwise in good condition.