“The Old Crow”

Albrecht Dürer - Agnes Dürer as St. Anne - 1519 - Brush on gray primed paper, 395 x 292 mm (approx. 15.5 x 11.5 in) - Graphische Sammlung Albertina, ViennaAgnes Free was a wealthy Nuremberg art dealer and the wife of Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528). He often referred to Agnes as an “old crow. Nevertheless, during their marriage, which was childless, she was portrayed by Dürer repeatedly. Although the marriage wasn’t without some angst—this touching portrait was painted on their 27th wedding anniversary. Agnes outlived her husband, and was his sole heir. Albrecht Dürer's father, a goldsmith, was an emigrant from present-day Hungary. Durer’s parents had 18 children—hence very little money. His marriage to Agnes was quite fortuitous.