Maximilian as Architect; with a Statue of St. Leopold; and Busts of Maximilian's Ancestors and Relatives, from the Arch of Honor, proof, dated 1515, printed 1517-18 1517 - 1518

Albrecht Dürer designed this woodcut, printed in 1517-18, as part of a larger commission from Emperor Maximilian I. The print celebrates Maximilian as an architect, linking his imperial power to the legacy of his ancestors, whose busts appear alongside a statue of Saint Leopold. The Arch of Honor, the larger project to which this print belonged, was designed to glorify Maximilian's reign and solidify his place in history. Made during the early years of the Reformation, this work reflects the social and political tensions of the time in its use of religious and ancestral imagery to legitimize imperial authority. We can see the influence of the printing press and the rise of humanism in the way that Dürer combines text and image to convey a complex message about power, lineage, and piety. To fully understand this print, we can consult historical documents, biographies, and art historical analyses to reveal the social and institutional forces that shaped its creation and meaning.