Dürer's Monumental 1515 Triumphal Arch Print Returns to Storage at NYPL After Final Public Viewing
The Triumphal Arch, a woodcut print by Albrecht Dürer, will be taken off public view at the New York Public Library on October 18 and placed in indefinite storage due to its age and delicate condition. This impressive piece, commissioned in 1512 by Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I, stands at approximately 13 feet tall, making it one of the largest prints ever produced. The NYPL possesses several panels from a first edition dated 1515, which were donated in 1903. After nearly five decades in the Great Hall, it was put into storage around 1984. Following restoration for the 2009 Grand Scale exhibition, it spent 12 years in storage before appearing in the 2021 Polonsky Treasures exhibition. Post-October 18, appointments for individual viewings can be arranged.
Key facts
- Albrecht Dürer's Triumphal Arch print will be stored indefinitely at NYPL starting October 18, 2026.
- The print was commissioned in 1512 by Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I and completed around 1515.
- It measures approximately 13 feet high, making it one of the largest prints ever produced.
- The NYPL's copy was donated in 1903 by Atheron Curtis and has undergone conservation in 2009.
- The print was previously displayed in the Polonsky Treasures exhibition at NYPL from 2021.
- Madeleine Viljoen is the NYPL curator of Prints who provided insights on the work's history and imagery.
- Jeffrey Smith, professor emeritus at University of Texas at Austin, commented on the print's cost and dissemination.
- After storage, limited individual viewings will be available by appointment only.
Entities
Artists
- Albrecht Dürer
- Madeleine Viljoen
- Jeffrey Smith
- Maximilian I
- Frederick III
- Mary of Burgundy
Institutions
- New York Public Library
- Philadelphia Museum of Art
- University of Texas at Austin
Locations
- New York City
- United States
- Philadelphia
- Austin