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Inscribed `Willow Mill', the view is from the north bank of the River Pegnitz, on the outskirts of Nuremberg. The buildings in the centre are the Grossweiden Mill and across the bridge on the left is the Kleinweiden Mill. This site appeared in Dürer's The Wire-drawing-Mill, dating from about eight years earlier. Comparing these two works demonstrates the development of Dürer's landscapes during this period. In his early works he placed a much greater emphasis on topography, with the scene being recorded in painstaking detail. Here, although the buildings and the large tree are treated in detail, the foreground and sky are lightly sketched. In this watercolour, Dürer was primarily interested in capturing the atmosphere of the stormy evening sky and the reflections in the water. This is arguably Dürer's most accomplished watercolour landscape.
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