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The Fourth Knot by Albrecht Dürer

The Fourth Knot

Albrecht Dürer · 1507

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“Pause to admire this intricate woodcut, a masterclass in linear design. Dürer’s "The Fourth Knot" transforms a flat surface into a mesmerizing illusion of interwoven ribbons, inspired by Leonardo da Vinci.”

ABOUT THIS WORK

Look closely at the intricate, looping lines that form a mesmerizing, almost three-dimensional pattern. This woodcut, known as "The Fourth Knot," is one of a series of six that Albrecht Dürer created around 1507. These designs are not his original inventions; he drew inspiration from engravings by Leonardo da Vinci's school, likely encountered during an early trip to Italy. The way the lines interweave suggests a complex, continuous ribbon, creating a sense of depth and movement within a flat plane. Printed on thin, almost translucent Italian paper, these knots were sometimes interpreted by scholars as patterns for embroidery. Dürer himself referred to giving away a series of knots in his diary, suggesting their value and appeal.

DETAILS
Artist
Albrecht Dürer
Date
1507
Medium
Woodcut in black on ivory laid paper
Location
Art Institute of Chicago
Dimensions
Image: 27 × 21.1 cm (10 11/16 × 8 5/16 in.); Sheet: 28.5 × 22.7 cm (11 1/4 × 8 15/16 in.)
Collection
Prints and Drawings
Culture
Germany
Credit line
Clarence Buckingham Collection
ART MOVEMENTS
Northern Renaissance
LOOK CLOSER

What to Notice

Five details hide in plain sight. Pick one and we’ll show you exactly where to look.

The Fourth Knot

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4 details are marked · pick a number
01Whole painting

Dark disk on pale page

A black circle fills nearly the whole sheet, so the white linework glows against it and the eye is pulled straight into the pattern.

02

The central rosette

Find the ring at the middle of the disk. Its braided bands circle a dark hole, and the six rings around it echo it like petals.

1 of 4 on the painting
03

White lines on black

Look at how the cord reads as a thin white line against solid black. The carver left each loop and crossing as uncut wood, so it prints as bare paper while the ground around it takes the ink.

2 of 4 on the painting
04

Woven corner shields

In each corner, a dark leaf shape holds a tight, basket-like weave of interlaced bands. It is a small, dense echo of the big knot pattern.

3 of 4 on the painting
05

Curling tendrils

Thin, wiry scrolls drift across the white margins and end in loose spirals. Their light, free line contrasts with the packed disk.

4 of 4 on the painting
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THE ARTIST

Albrecht Dürer

1471–1528 · Duchy of Bavaria

Renaissance master who revolutionized printmaking across Europe before turning 30.

Read Dürer’s full story
MORE FROM THIS ARTIST

Further Works by Dürer

1 / 2
Saint Jerome in His Study Saint Jerome in His Study 1521 · National Museum of Ancient Art Portrait of a Woman, Said to Be Caritas Pirckheimer (1467–1532) Portrait of a Woman, Said to Be Caritas Pirckheimer (1467–1532) The Metropolitan Museum of Art The Monstrous Sow of Landser The Monstrous Sow of Landser 1496 · Art Institute of Chicago The Lamentation, from The Large Passion The Lamentation, from The Large Passion 1498 · Art Institute of Chicago The Third Knot The Third Knot 1507 · Art Institute of Chicago The Annunciation, from The Life of the Virgin The Annunciation, from The Life of the Virgin 1511 · Art Institute of Chicago The Lamentation The Lamentation 1477 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art The Entombment The Entombment 1485 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
EXPLORE THE MOVEMENT

More from Northern Renaissance

See the movement →
Christ Child with a Walking Frame Christ Child with a Walking Frame Bosch · 1480 · Kunsthistorisches Museum The Crucifixion; The Last Judgment The Crucifixion; The Last Judgment van Eyck · 1440 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
KEEP EXPLORING

More works to explore

Beyond Dürer and Northern Renaissance: works from the same years.

Saint Christopher Same era · 1490s–1520s Saint Christopher Hieronymus Bosch · 1508 · Noordbrabants Museum Drunkenness of Noah Same era · 1490s–1520s Drunkenness of Noah Michelangelo · 1509 · Sistine Chapel Jacopo Pesaro, Bishop of Paphos, being presented by Pope Alexander VI to Saint Peter Same era · 1490s–1520s Jacopo Pesaro, Bishop of Paphos, being presented by Pope Alexander VI to Saint Peter Titian · 1504 · Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp Mona Lisa Same era · 1490s–1520s Mona Lisa Leonardo da Vinci · 1503 · Department of Paintings of the Louvre Sistine Madonna (Madonna di San Sisto) Same era · 1490s–1520s Sistine Madonna (Madonna di San Sisto) Raphael (Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino) · 1512 Plate with arms of the Tosinghi family Same era · 1490s–1520s Plate with arms of the Tosinghi family Artist Unknown - The Mercat Cross, Aberdeen · 1495 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art Madonna and Child Enthroned with Saints John the Baptist and Sebastian Same era · 1490s–1520s Madonna and Child Enthroned with Saints John the Baptist and Sebastian Pietro Perugino · 1493 · Uffizi Gallery Head of Christ (one of a pair) Same era · 1490s–1520s Head of Christ (one of a pair) Master of the View of Saint Gudula · 1495 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
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