This drawing portrays a laughing peasant woman from Windisch Mark, the archaic name of the area around Gurk in southern Austria.
Widely regarded as among the artist's greatest portrait drawings, it was evidently already much admired in the sixteenth century. It isn't hard to see why. Given the fleeting nature of the peasant woman's expression and the meticulous execution of the drawing, Dürer must have had to recall her mirthful grin from memory.
This drawing was donated by Campbell Dodgson, who presented 10 works on paper to the British Museum through the Art Fund between 1907 and 1928 and bequeathed a large collection of etchings by William Strang in 1952.
More information
Title of artwork, date
Portrait of a Peasant Woman, 1505
Date supported
1930
Medium and material
Pen, brown ink & brown wash
Dimensions
41.6 x 28.1 cm
Gifted by
Campbell Dodgson
Grant
2000
Total cost
5000
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