Zoom right into Melencolia here, its astonishing detail draws you into its landscape

This weblink to a high resolution version of Melencolia reveals its extraordinary detail, which is so fine that the objects seem to subtly morph, one into the other, and you are led on a journey round the picture, as if you are in a dream, totally absorbed. Its artist, Albrecht Durer, pioneered and mastered the art of fine printing in Western art. His feat in Melencolia is astonishing when you consider that the engraving is only 9.4″ x 7.4″, or 24cm x 18.8cm. That’s smaller than A4. Durer must have used tools a hair’s breadth wide and worn microscopic spectacles of some kind. Melencolia I is one of Durer’s three Master Prints that he spent extra time and care on, clearly a work very dear to his heart.