Albrecht Dürer

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Born: 1471

Died: 1528

Summary of Albrecht Dürer

It’s safe to assume that printing as we know it now in art history and current art would not exist without Albrecht Dürer. Despite the fact that he lived about 500 years ago, he is still remembered as one of the most prominent and influential printmakers in art history, especially for introducing large-scale woodcuts into the realm of fine art and the canon of art history.

Albrecht Dürer’s reputation was founded primarily on his prints and graphic style, but he supplemented his income with commissions for religious subjects and portraits, which are still prized for their draughtsmanship and use of colour. He was, and continues to be, the most famous Northern Renaissance artist who effectively combined a highly detailed Northern style with the principles of balance, coherence, and monumentality of the Italian Renaissance.

Until the 1500s, Renaissance Italian art (which emphasised proportion, perspective, and depictions of’man’ in his surroundings) had remained nearly completely separate from late mediaeval art in northern Europe (focused on naturalistic studies). Dürer was the first non-Italian artist to use modern philosophical, medical, and religious concepts to his works, and was the first non-Italian artist to do so.

Dürer believed it was necessary to create creative allegories for new human concepts. Knight, Death, and the Devil (1513), St. Jerome in His Study (1514), and Melencolia I (1514), for example, symbolise the three domains of human activity: energetic, contemplative, and intellectual.

Dürer’s interest in science grew later in life, and he published treatises such as Four Books on Measurement (1525), Treatise on Fortification (1527), and Four Books on Human Proportion (1528), for which he drew drawings. He thought that geometry, along with other mathematical requirements, was necessary for creating harmonious artworks and that it should be taught to all young artists.

Despite his Renaissance interests in Humanism and mathematics, Dürer continued to paint very comprehensive studies of the natural world, especially animals, whether newly found in Europe (such as the legendary rhinoceros and lion) or familiar native species (such as the hare, owl, or cat).

Dürer was well aware of his own artistic brilliance, which tormented and invigorated him in equal measure. He created a lot of self-aggrandizing self-portraits and frequently appeared in his painted commissions as a character. He was one of the first celebrity artists, with imitators, followers, and admirers, in a paradigm that still exists today.

Biography of Albrecht Dürer

Early Life

Albrecht Dürer began an apprenticeship at his father’s workshop at the age of thirteen, but he shown such extraordinary aptitude as a draughtsman that, at the age of fifteen, he entered an apprenticeship with painter Michael Wolgemut, much to his father’s dismay. From 1486 until 1489, he studied under him for three years.

Between 1490 to 1494, he worked as a journeyman, or traveller, as was the tradition at the time, to broaden his knowledge and abilities by collaborating with other painters. Dürer returned to Nuremberg in the summer of 1494 to marry Agnes Frey, the daughter of a local coppersmith and lute maker. The marriage, which was planned by Albrecht’s parents, was not especially joyful, as evidenced by Dürer’s description of Agnes as a “old crow” in letters to his close friend Willibald Pirckheimer. The couple did not have any children.

Mid Life

Dürer’s fame as a printer grew quickly throughout Europe, thanks to his well-known Apocalypse series of woodcuts from 1498. His strong monogram signature demonstrates his keen awareness of his creative image and creativity. Dürer’s maker’s mark was frequently falsified as his art became more precious, prompting him to submit a complaint with the Venetian authorities against engraver Marcantonio Raimondi, who had repeatedly duplicated his works and maker’s mark, selling them as originals. Finally, the court decided that Raimondi may continue to copy Dürer’s work as long as he didn’t copy the artist’s monogram.

Dürer’s closest friend and counsellor was Philippe Pirckheimer. He was a lawyer and humanist who served on the municipal council of Nuremberg and had significant contacts across Europe.

At 1509, he was elected to the Great Council in Nuremberg, confirming his social status as a prominent citizen. Dürer had strong ties with Nuremberg’s humanists, including Pirckheimer, with whom he regularly reviewed his work and subject subjects, ensuring that they were appropriate for his educated audience.

Late Life

Dürer’s health began to deteriorate after 1519. His eyesight deteriorated, and it was speculated that he had arthritis in his hands. Despite this, he continued to travel, visiting the Netherlands in 1520 and then Brussels in 1521. He had caught an unexplained disease, perhaps malaria, when he returned to Nuremberg in 1521, which left him with recurrent fevers and severely limited his creative work. He started a number of bigger religious works that were never finished, as well as a few smaller paintings. The Four Apostles (1526), his final major work, was donated to the city of Nuremberg.

Dürer died on April 6, 1528, at Nuremberg, at the age of 56. His wife received his vast estate, which included his mansion in Zisselgasse, which is now a museum. “What was mortal of Albrecht Dürer lies beneath this mound” says his monument at the Johannisfriedhof cemetery, a dedication made by his life-long companion Pirckheimer. One of Dürer’s students, Hans Baldung, was sent a strand of his hair, which is now housed in the Vienna Academy of Arts. Some of his fans are believed to have surreptitiously unearthed his body immediately after his death to produce plaster casts of his face and hands, which is a gruesome possibility.

Albrecht Dürer was a master of several artistic mediums, including painting and sketching, but it was as a printer that he became most famous during his lifetime. His fame grew across the continent as his prints were widely distributed. The Italian painters, particularly Raphael and Titian, were motivated to promote their names using this relatively new medium, and they regularly commissioned printmakers to create reproductions of their paintings. Other followers (Marcantonio Raimondi, Agostino Veneziano) replicated Dürer’s originals or incorporated aspects from his landscapes into their backdrops (Giulio Campagnola, Benedetto Montagna).

Famous Art by Albrecht Dürer

Self-Portrait with Fur-Trimmed Robe

1500

This picture depicting the artist as Christ might be seen as a bold, blasphemous statement, but it is more likely an expression of trust in the artist’s ability as a creator. It depicts Albrecht Dürer the artist, with God’s gifts showered upon him. The artist is squarely facing the audience on a plain background. His right hand is raised to his breast, two fingers split out, as though in a blessing gesture. His wavy hair reaches his shoulders, and his monogram is clearly shown to his right.

The Feast of the Rosary

1506

The Feast of the Rosary, one of Dürer’s most important large-scale paintings, was created during his journey to Venice in 1506. The Virgin Mary is surrounded by a huge group of masculine characters and putti in this painting. Two cherubim adorn Mary with a garland of flowers while she holds the Christ infant on her lap. Saint Dominic stands to her right, and two people kneel in front, possibly Pope Julius II and Emperor Maximilian I. The throne is surrounded by several additional people. They are primarily thought to be members of Venice’s German community.

The Rhinoceros

1515

Dürer’s Rhinoceros has remained one of his most beloved paintings since its original publication in 1515. The artist’s portrayal of an Indian Rhinoceros standing on a little piece of earth is represented in this woodcut. On the right, above the animal’s head, are the date, the title RHINOCERUS, and Dürer’s monogram signature. ‘On 1 May 1513 [this should read 1515] was delivered from India to the great and strong king Emanuel of Portugal in Lisbon a live animal called a rhinoceros,’ says an inscription on the top. His physical shape is seen here.

Its hue is that of a speckled turtle, and its scales are thick. It’s the size of an elephant, yet it’s lighter on its feet and nearly indestructible. It has a powerful horn on its snout that it sharpens on stones. The elephant’s mortal enemy is the dumb animal. When they meet, the elephant races with its head down between its front legs, gores the elephant’s stomach and throttles it, and the elephant is powerless to defend itself. The elephant has no chance against the beast since it is so well-armed. The rhinoceros is also known to be swift, agile, and cunning.’

Dürer was never able to view the animal in person. Its look was only known to him via written tales, therefore it’s no wonder that Dürer’s art does not depict a rhinoceros in a realistic manner. The animal is depicted wearing thick plates that resemble armour. A pattern of circular markings covers the surface. A second horn, in addition to the one on its snout, may be seen between its shoulders. It has scaly legs that resemble those of a reptile.

The first edition of the print was published in 1515, and it was followed by eight more versions over the next three centuries. An expanded text is included in later editions. The image appeared in a number of scholarly publications. From a panel in the west doors of Pisa Cathedral to Jean Goujon’s obelisk outside the Church of the Sepulchre in Paris (1549) and Salvador Dal’s sculpture Rinoceronte vestido with puntillasvon, it influenced future works (1956).

BULLET POINTED (SUMMARISED)

Best for Students and a Huge Time Saver

• It’s safe to assume that printing as we know it now in art history and current art would not exist without Albrecht Dürer.
• Despite the fact that he lived about 500 years ago, he is still remembered as one of the most prominent and influential printmakers in art history, especially for introducing large-scale woodcuts into the realm of fine art and the canon of art history.
• Albrecht Dürer’s reputation was founded primarily on his prints and graphic style, but he supplemented his income with commissions for religious subjects and portraits, which are still prized for their draughtsmanship and use of colour.
• He was, and continues to be, the most famous Northern Renaissance artist who effectively combined a highly detailed Northern style with the principles of balance, coherence, and monumentality of the Italian Renaissance.
• Until the 1500s, Renaissance Italian art (which emphasised proportion, perspective, and depictions of’man’ in his surroundings) had remained nearly completely separate from late mediaeval art in northern Europe (focused on naturalistic studies).

• Dürer was the first non-Italian artist to use modern philosophical, medical, and religious concepts to his works, and was the first non-Italian artist to do so.
• Dürer believed it was necessary to create creative allegories for new human concepts.
• Knight, Death, and the Devil (1513), St. Jerome in His Study (1514), and Melencolia I (1514), for example, symbolise the three domains of human activity: energetic, contemplative, and intellectual.
• Dürer’s interest in science grew later in life, and he published treatises such as Four Books on Measurement (1525), Treatise on Fortification (1527), and Four Books on Human Proportion (1528), for which he drew drawings.
• Despite his Renaissance interests in Humanism and mathematics, Dürer continued to paint very comprehensive studies of the natural world, especially animals, whether newly found in Europe (such as the legendary rhinoceros and lion) or familiar native species (such as the hare, owl, or cat).

Information Citations

En.wikipedia.org, https://en.wikipedia.org/.

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