A 16th century woodblock illustration of the winds by Albrecht Dürer

DÜRER, Albrecht.

[Wind heads around an armillary sphere.]
Strasbourg: Johann Koberger, 1525. Coloured circular woodcut, printed area 190mm diameter, set in letterpress.

A fanciful illustration of an armillary sphere surrounded by twelve named wind-heads which, although not signed with his usual monogram, is the work of the famous engraver Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528). It was published in the 1525 Wäldseemüller/Fries edition of Ptolemy's 'Geographia'.
According to Dr Wilhelm Kurth, ''Dürer's authorship is proved by two letters of the mathematician and architect of Karl V, Johann Tscherte, who plainly mentions Dürer's name as the designer of the Armillary Sphere".

KURTH: The Complete Works of Albrecht Dürer.
Stock ID : 20706