Albrecht Dürer

And his Magic Square

Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528)is considered to be a famous German artist

In 1514 he produced and engaving entitled "melancolie“ in which his Magic Square, the first in Europe, was shown.

The title of this work was intending to show the 4 temperamental elements named "sanguine", "choleric", "melancholic" and "phlegmatic" after the bodily humors).

Each was the result of an excess of one of the humors that produced, in turn, the imbalance in paired qualities

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In his engraving “Melancolie”,

Albrecht Dürer placed his

arithmetical magic square.

You can see it on the right side of

the wall.

16 3 2 13

5 10 11 8

9 6 7 12

4 15 14 1

Close up of panel.

But what is magicalAbout it ?

The Number 34 !

This is the sum of the numbers of each field on

the square.

16 3 2 13

5 10 11 8

9 6 7 12

4 15 14 1

The sum of each horizontal line is 34 !

16 3 2 13

5 10 11 8

9 6 7 12

4 15 14 1

Each column totals 34 !

16 3 2 13

5 10 11 8

9 6 7 12

4 15 14 1

The 4 corners add up to 34 !

16 3 2 13

5 10 11 8

9 6 7 12

4 15 14 1

If you select the squares (leaving 2 blanks between the each square) in a clockwise direction the total is still 34!

16 3 2 13

5 10 11 8

9 6 7 12

4 15 14 1

Try it again in the same manner and it‘s always 34

16 3 2 13

5 10 11 8

9 6 7 12

4 15 14 1

The central squares add up to 34 !

16 3 2 13

5 10 11 8

9 6 7 12

4 15 14 1

And these, 34 !

16 3 2 13

5 10 11 8

9 6 7 12

4 15 14 1

16 3 2 13

5 10 11 8

9 6 7 12

4 15 14 1

16 3 2 13

5 10 11 8

9 6 7 12

4 15 14 1

As well as the diagonals . . .

GREAT !

Dürer was very proud to have created the square.

¡¡¡Well there was no televison then !

16 3 2 13

5 10 11 8

9 6 7 12

4 15 14 1

16 3 2 13

5 10 11 8

9 6 7 12

4 15 14 1

Carry on like this: 34 !

16 3 2 13

5 10 11 8

9 6 7 12

4 15 14 1

Lastly, the two middle centre at the base of

the square give the date the square was

invented (1514).