Basic Information

Historical Context

A watercolor landscape depicting a pond or lake surrounded by trees and vegetation. Pure landscape studies like this were extremely rare in the late fifteenth century, making this work highly significant in the history of the landscape genre. [Inferred from Dürer Catalog] Visual Description A still pond is shown in the middle ground, reflecting the sky and surrounding trees. The foreground is filled with vegetation — reeds, grasses, and small plants rendered with botanical precision. Trees frame the composition on both sides. The atmospheric treatment suggests a specific time of day and weather conditions. Artistic Analysis This watercolor is a pioneering work in independent landscape art. At a time when landscape served primarily as background for narrative scenes, Dürer treated it as a worthy subject in its own right. The work anticipates the development of landscape as an autonomous genre.