1516
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Dominant colour
Group of Five Figures is a 1516 by Albrecht Dürer, a Renaissance work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
This painting shows five figures in various poses. The figure in the center is a nude man, possibly a prisoner, with his hands bound behind his back. He is being held by two men on either side of him, while another figure looks on from the left. A fifth figure, a woman, lies on the ground to the right. The scene is set in a dark, rocky area with some foliage in the background. The figures are rendered in a detailed, realistic style, with attention to the textures of their skin and clothing. The use of chiaroscuro, a technique that uses strong contrasts between light and dark to create a sense of volume and depth, adds to the dramatic effect of the scene. To learn more about this technique, look up chiaroscuro.
Albrecht Dürer spent his life in Nuremberg, a busy German city where artists traded prints like currency.
See the richer artist pageYour cart is empty
Explore artworks →
![Madonna and Child [obverse]](https://pub-3a17a9933ad74fb28aa30fa758592f23.r2.dev/artworks/d7b8ebf05d22ebe5/thumb.webp)
![Lot and His Daughters [reverse]](https://pub-3a17a9933ad74fb28aa30fa758592f23.r2.dev/artworks/b4ebf9b282faa17a/thumb.webp)
