Little Owl attributed to Albrecht Dürer (1502 or 1508?)

Resolution: 3826 × 5308 px

A small owl stands in three-quarter view against warm brown-washed paper, its rounded body balanced on sharply articulated talons. Fine pen lines, translucent washes, and touches of opaque white distinguish the layered feathers, dark reflective eyes, curved beak, and soft facial disc with remarkable tactile precision.

The ALBERTINA catalogues Little Owl as attributed to Albrecht Dürer and dates it 1502 or 1508 with a question mark; the “1508” inscription and AD monogram were added by another hand. This qualified attribution is essential to the work’s significance. Long associated with Dürer’s celebrated nature studies, the sheet embodies the Northern Renaissance shift toward close empirical observation, treating a modest living creature as a subject worthy of concentrated artistic attention while also revealing how later inscriptions shaped the reception of old master drawings.

This high-resolution digital image preserves the delicate line work, layered watercolour, opaque highlights, tonal paper surface, and minute feather details. It is well suited to scholarly study, natural-history display, and collectors interested in Renaissance drawing and early European animal studies.