Which artwork is a late Renaissance print by Albrecht Dürer?

• A. Knight, Death and the Devil
• B. Melencolia I
• C. Saint Jerome in His Study
• D. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse

Answer: (B)

Melencolia I is the standout late Renaissance print by Albrecht Dürer because it embodies the era’s humanist curiosity and experimental spirit in a single, intricate engraving from around 1514. The image blends precise mathematical and geometric symbolism, a profound interest in knowledge and intellectual struggle, and technical mastery of line and shading unique to engraving. The melancholic figure, tools, a magic square, and other scientific and symbolic details reflect Renaissance inquiry into art, science, and the mind, rather than purely religious or narrative themes.

By contrast, The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse is a woodcut from the late 15th century and leans toward a more medieval apocalyptic scene. Knight, Death and the Devil is an engraving with a heroic, allegorical tone rather than the introspective, knowledge-driven message of Melencolia I. Saint Jerome in His Study, while humanist in subject, is more a devotional/biographical image and doesn’t showcase the same concentrated blend of Renaissance science, symbolism, and innovative printmaking that characterizes Melencolia I.