Albrecht Dürer

The Offer of Love (or The Ill-Assorted Couple)

1495–1496
engraving

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In the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland · as of July 2026

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FROM THE CLEVELAND MUSEUM OF ART’S CATALOG

In the late 15th century, moralizing scenes of mismatched lovers were popular subjects for prints. In one variation of the theme, a young woman seduces an unwitting old man in order to steal his money. In Dürer’s version here, however, the male figure willingly reaches into his purse to pay for his younger companion’s affections.

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