Abduction on a Unicorn

The artwork Abduction on a Unicorn is a print created by Albrecht Dürer in 1516. Currently, it is housed in the National Gallery of Art.

The print, rendered in black and white, presents a dramatic scene of abduction. A powerful unicorn, its muscled body tensed in motion, is ridden by a nude woman. Her body twists back as she reaches out with one hand, her face a mask of distress. Behind her, a wild-haired, bearded man clutches her tightly, his expression unreadable. The trio is set against a backdrop of swirling, dramatic clouds that fill the upper half of the composition. A sliver of calmer landscape with a distant town and castle is visible in the background on the right. The artist's signature "AD" along with the date 1516 are subtly placed within the clouds.