Heauton Timouroumenos, from The Comedies of Terence, 19th century reprint

Description

This illustration to Heauton Timouroumenos from The Comedies of Terence places two figures beside a building, facing one another. Their pointing hands form an exchange across the open space between them, while sharply patterned clothes and distinctive hats give each man a lively presence. A sloping landscape and distant rooftops extend the setting behind the conversation.

Represented by a nineteenth-century reprint, this woodcut design by Albrecht Dürer gives the ancient play an accessible visual language. The gestures make its theatrical energy visible without requiring a detailed reconstruction of the dialogue. Strong contours separate the figures from the briskly drawn background, allowing the small scene to retain the immediacy of an encounter witnessed at close range.

Read our guide to giclée prints or browse the Dürer collection.