“Young Couple Threatened by Death (Promenade),” created circa 1498, is an engraving by Albrecht Dürer, a prominent figure of the Northern Renaissance. It is a genre painting that reflects the themes and styles prominent during that period. The artwork is currently housed at the Staatliche Kunsthalle Karlsruhe in Karlsruhe, Germany.
In the engraving, you can see a young couple holding hands, elegantly dressed, which befits the fashion of the late 15th century. The man wears a feathered hat and has a distinctively concerned expression as he gazes towards the woman. The woman, adorned with a head-dress, seems to be serenely looking back at him, unaware of the ominous presence behind them. They are both finely detailed, showcasing Dürer’s mastery over the medium of engraving and his ability to convey subtle emotions and drama through meticulous line work.
The scenery contains elements of nature and a detailed background depicting what appears to be a landscape with architecture. You can notice the precision in the rendering of their clothing and the surrounding vegetation, typical of Dürer’s attention to detail. A striking feature of the engraving is the contrast between the liveliness of the couple and the skeletal figure of Death, which, while not visible in the part of the image being discussed, lurks in the shadows, imbuing the scene with a sense of foreboding and the theme of memento mori – a reminder of human mortality.