DÜRER, Albrecht
(b. 1471, Nürnberg, d. 1528, Nürnberg)

The Ill-Assorted Couple or the Offer of Love

c. 1495
Engraving, 151 x 139 mm
Staatliche Museen, Berlin

The style of the monogram indicates that it is one of Dürer's earliest engravings. The left-handedness of the subjects may be due to Dürer's use of an earlier model. Although a moralizing theme was read into the episode by some early commentator, Dürer probably intended to do no more than to portray purchased love.