Albrecht Dürer was a Renaissance period artist, master printmaker, painter, and writer. He was the official court artist to Holy Roman Emperors Maximilian I and his successor Charles V. With his ability to produce detailed imagery and illustrating subtle tonal variations in his images, Dürer is often credited for elevating printmaking to an art form.

The Small Horse is also a small print. However the details of line, thatching, and architectural background speak to Dürer’s attention and abilities to render scale, and depict perspective and proportions. A favourite subject matter for Dürer, The Small Horse is one of the oldest prints in the University of Alberta Museums Art Collection.