“The Ill-Assorted Couple or the Offer of Love” is an engraving created by Albrecht Dürer in 1495. This artwork belongs to the Northern Renaissance art movement and falls under the genre painting category. It is not on display in public as it resides in a private collection.
In this piece, Albrecht Dürer depicts two contrasting figures, a young maiden and an older, bearded man seated together in an outdoor setting that has elements of both nature and architecture. The young woman appears elegantly dressed, with her attire accentuating her youth and beauty. She looks directly at the man beside her, showing a somewhat alluring expression. The older man, in contrast, is heavily clothed and looks at the woman attentively, possibly indicating his interest in her. Their gestures suggest an interaction loaded with undertones of courtship or negotiation. In the background, a landscape features a castle-like structure near a body of water, lending a sense of place and societal context to the scene. A unicorn, often a symbol of purity, can be seen in the tree line, which might suggest an ironic commentary considering the apparent mismatched nature of the couple. Dürer’s use of intricate lines and attention to detail is evident throughout this carefully crafted engraving.
