Nemesis or Good Fortune by Albrecht Dürer - circa 1502 - 33.2 x 23.2 cm Staatliche Kunsthalle Karlsruhe Nemesis or Good Fortune by Albrecht Dürer - circa 1502 - 33.2 x 23.2 cm Staatliche Kunsthalle Karlsruhe

Nemesis or Good Fortune

engraving • 33.2 x 23.2 cm
  • Albrecht Dürer - May 21, 1471 - April 6th, 1528 Albrecht Dürer circa 1502

It's not clear whether Dürer depicted Nemesis or another Greek goddess, Fortuna. Nemesis was responsible for retribution and vengeance. Fortuna, quite obviously, was the goddess of fortune and the personification of luck. In Dürer's depiction, a winged female figure is floating on a globe high above the clouds. The figure is holding a goblet and bridle in her hands, symbols of fortune for the deserving and punishment for the headstrong, respectively.