Little Owl – Albrecht Dürer (1506)

A little owl, painted feather by feather. Perched and facing us, the small owl fixes the viewer with its round yellow eyes. Dürer paints each feather of its speckled brown plumage with tiny strokes of the brush, from the soft down of the breast to the stiffer feathers of the wings.

Dürer was one of the first European artists to paint animals and plants for their own sake, as closely observed studies. The little owl, the bird of Athena, was also a symbol of wisdom, a meaning the Renaissance knew well.

Why it works on your wall

• Tender and precise: a quiet, intimate image for a study, a bedroom or a library
• A Renaissance masterpiece: one of Dürer’s celebrated nature studies, a fine gift for bird and art lovers
• Framing tip: a thin wooden frame and a wide cream mount suit its small format and soft tones

Dürer’s nature studies

Albrecht Dürer (1471–1528) was the greatest artist of the German Renaissance. His watercolours of animals and plants, such as the Young Hare and the Great Piece of Turf, are among the first true nature studies in European art. This little owl is dated 1506 and is kept, like many of these studies, in the Albertina in Vienna.

• Artist: Albrecht Dürer (1471–1528)
• Date: 1506
• Technique: watercolour
• Original: Albertina, Vienna
• Theme: owl, bird, Renaissance nature study

Your print

• Colours restored from a high-definition scan of the original
• Printed in Europe on thick archival matte paper, FSC certified
• From A4 to A0, plus 40×60, 50×70, 60×90 and 70×100 cm and 12×18 to 27×40 inch sizes, all made for standard frames
• Free shipping, no minimum order. Shipped rolled in a sturdy tube

Pair it with Dürer’s Stag Beetle, or explore all our Albrecht Dürer prints and vintage animal prints.