Six Studies of Pillows (1493)

Dated 1493, "Six Studies of Pillows" is an artwork by Albrecht Dürer. The catalogue places it in Drawings. The format is portrait. Background on Drawings: Artists have long used drawings to plan paintings, sculptures, and buildings, so a sketch can show how an idea developed. Drawings range from quick preparatory sketches to finished works in pen, chalk, charcoal, graphite, or wash. Context for 1493: In East Asia, the Ming dynasty in China and the Muromachi period in Japan continued their own long traditions of ink painting and calligraphy. The fifteenth century saw the early Renaissance in Italy and the rise of the early Netherlandish painters in the north, when oil paint, linear perspective, and close observation of nature reshaped European painting.

"Six Studies of Pillows" is offered as a printable file (Digital JPEG + PDF files, 300 DPI) rather than a shipped item. You receive the files by email after payment and handle printing yourself, which gives you full control over paper, size, and finish. A portrait format suits narrow wall spaces, hallways, and the area beside a door or window. Measuring the wall before choosing a size is the simplest way to avoid a print that feels too small or too large. Choosing a standard frame size and printing to fit it often saves the cost of custom framing. Screens and printers render colour differently, so a small test print is a sensible way to check tones before committing to a large size. Hang the print away from direct sunlight, which over the years can fade any printed colour.

German, 1471–1528

If you like the visual language of Albrecht Dürer, explore more works by the same artist in our collection.