Meticulous Matrices: Building a Chronology of Albrecht Dürer’s Meisterstiche Impressions through the Analysis and Documentation of Microscopic Scratches in His Engraved Plates

This chapter reviews the methods and results of an in-depth comparative study of Albrecht Dürer’s three meisterstiche – Melencolia I, Knight, Death, and the Devil, and St. Jerome in His Study. As a plate is prepared for printing, hard and sharp fragments of burr residue and inclusions in the printing ink are repeatedly rubbed across the matrix: fine scratches appear on the surface of the plate almost immediately and the crisp edges of the engraved areas are gradually worn down, making the cut lines softer and less well-defined. By digitally recording and comparing the marks of deterioration on each of the meisterstiche impressions, this study reconstructs a chronological sequencing method for individual impressions to offer new, diverse information about Dürer’s work.