Nemesis

In his diary, Dürer referred to this print as Nemesis (goddess of retribution), and the monumental figure’s wings and bridle confirm that identification. With the addition of a globe and celebratory goblet, however, she becomes fused with Fortuna (goddess of fortune). Characteristically, Dürer merged complex source material from antiquity as well as Italian Humanist texts, creating new, often esoteric, subject matter. Most striking pictorially is the distinction between a minutely rendered natural world—an identifiable town—and the pristine divine space above, divided by roiling clouds.