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Coat of Arms with a Lion and a Cock

Albrecht Dürer

1502

ink

From the collection of Chester Beatty Library

northern_renaissance Renaissance Renaissance

Dominant colour

Coat of Arms with a Lion and a Cock is a 1502 ink by Albrecht Dürer, a northern_renaissance work, held at Chester Beatty Library.

Who painted this?: Albrecht Dürer
When & what style?: 1502 · northern_renaissance
Where can I see it?: Chester Beatty Library

About this work

This picture shows a fancy coat of arms with a lion and a rooster. The lion stands on its back legs, holding a shield with three dots on it. Above the shield, a rooster with big wings and a comb perches like it’s guarding the whole thing. Swirly leaves and clouds fill the background, making it look like the whole scene is floating. The rooster’s tail feathers fan out dramatically, while the lion’s front paws rest on the shield like it’s ready to fight. This kind of detailed, symbolic art was made by carving into metal plates—then pressing ink onto paper. Next, look up engraving to see how artists like this made sharp, precise lines.