The Great Courier 1495

Albrecht Durer made this engraving titled 'The Great Courier' during a time of significant social change. As the Holy Roman Empire began to wane, new social and political movements rose. The figure of the courier is a complex one. He is dressed in the attire of a jester, but carries a letter. As a figure of entertainment, but also a messenger, the courier embodies the blurred lines between social classes. Is Durer inviting us to consider that those on the periphery of society are also vital to its function? The horse is the image of classical nobility but is being ridden by a clown. The image confronts us with the idea of shifting identities, and how these blurrings might challenge the established norms of 16th century Europe. It reminds us that societal roles are not fixed, but are subject to change over time.