The Temptation of the Idler (The Dream of the Doctor), ca. 1498

Title

The Temptation of the Idler (The Dream of the Doctor)

Artist

• Albrecht Dürer

Period Produced

• 15th century

Object Type

• art print

Material

• handmade paper
• Vergé paper

Technique

• copperplate engraving

Geographic Reference

• German

Label at the Time of Manufacture

Monogrammiert in der Platte unten mittig: AD

Captions Added Later

Verso bezeichnet (mit der Feder in Braun): Richard Ford / 18[?]21 [nicht bei Lugt] / Bartsch [...] 76; (mit Bleistift): cat / B P. G. t VII page 91 No 76 Le Songe / superbe épreuve très rare
Verso Stempel der Sammlung Heinrich Friedrich de la Motte-Fouquet, Köln (Lugt 778)
Verso Stempel des Städelschen Kunstinstituts, Frankfurt am Main (Lugt 2356)

Watermark

• Nicht vorhanden

Work Catalogues

• Hollstein German VII.64.70
• TIB 1001.076
• Schoch/Mende/ Scherbaum 1.65.18
• Meder 1932.98.70
• Bartsch VII.91.76

Institution

• Städel Museum

Departement

• Department of Prints and Drawings

Collection

• Städelsches Kunstinstitut

Creditline

Städel Museum, Frankfurt am Main

Picture Copyright

Public Domain

Acquisition

Acquired in 1850

Genre

• allegory
• nude

Main Motif

• Acedia
• woman
• man
• interior space

Persons Shown

• Acedia

Associated Persons and Institutions

• Devil
• Venus
• Cupid

Primary

• 11N37 Sloth, Indolence, 'Acedia', 'Desidia'; 'Accidia' (Ripa) ~ personification of one of the Seven Deadly Sins
• 41D92 woman (showing herself) undressed, quasi-nude
• 49G1 physician, doctor
• 31B12 sleeping in chair

Secondary

• 41A7632 pillow
• 41B22 heating stove

Associative

• 31B3 dream
• 11K devil(s) and demons
• 92C454 Venus and Cupid (Cupid not being mere attribute)