Society on horseback 1489

Albrecht Durer made this drawing, called “Society on Horseback,” using pen and ink on paper. In the image, we see members of a well-to-do German society, on horseback, traveling through a landscape. Made sometime in the late 15th or early 16th century, this drawing reflects the tastes of the Northern Renaissance and the social codes of the time. We can tell that this is an image of the upper class because of their fine clothing, their horses, and the leisure activity of travel. The geography of the scene does not seem to be based on a real place. Instead, Durer has constructed an imaginary landscape that is derived from the artistic conventions of his time. If we want to learn more about this image, we might do research into the costume and culture of the German Renaissance, the history of equestrian portraiture, and the role of art in displaying social status. Ultimately, the meaning of art is always contingent on social and institutional context.