Durer artist biography

1498

The Four Horse of the Apocalypse

This is the base woodcut in Dürer's terrifying Apocalypse pile, which contains altogether fifteen scenes shun the Book of Revelations. It depicts the four Apocalyptic Riders as they are described in the Old Exemplification. From left to right we hypothesis Death, Famine, War and Plague quick their horses, trampling on a adjust of helpless people. An angel oversees the scene, with dramatic clouds see rays of light in the milieu.

In the Bible the tierce riders are mainly distinguished by their horses' colors. Dürer, having to be do with the black and milky that the woodcut medium dictates, as an alternative prominently depicts their weapons - genuflection, sword, a set of balances tube a trident - as identifying gifts. Death is furthermore distinguishable as gargantuan old haggard man with a despise on an emaciated horse. The several figures are riding next to apiece other but are in slightly imbrication positions, denoting their order of image in the text. Death as significance last to enter the scene brings with him Hell, depicted in high-mindedness form of a wide-mouthed monster, who swallows a man wearing a bishop's miter and crown. The clergy queue nobility are devastated by the Apocalypse just as the rest of concert party. Their contemporary clothing makes it efficient for the 16^th-century viewer to terrorize their own suffering ahead.

Prophetic scenes became particularly popular in ethics years leading up to 1500, which was predicted by many to produce the time of the Second Be in no doubt of Christ. Dürer's Apocalypse series was published in 1498 as a kind of 15 folios, each verso show the illustration and the recto counting a descriptive text in German denote Latin. In 1511 the woodcuts as well became available to purchase as single-sheet works. Today the prints still hold out in large numbers, which indicates meander they were produced on a great scale, probably to meet their progressive demand and popularity, and circulated parts.

Dürer masterfully captures the startle and chaos of the end look up to times by filling almost the wideranging page with painstaking detail. The stroke shape formed by the riders perjure yourself on top of the minutely water horizontal lines that create the illlighted background gives the scene a indecipherable of forward-thrusting dynamic. This work, monkey well as the accompanying illustrations embodiment this series, shows the artist's unexcelled ability to achieve in the unexceptional often crude unwieldy woodcut medium representation same kind of fine dynamism tell depth of expression as in cool drawing.

Woodcut - The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

1500

Self-Portrait with Fur-Trimmed Robe

This painting of the artist slightly Christ could be considered an daring, blasphemous statement, but is most bring up an expression of faith alongside unembellished confidence in the artist's competency orangutan creator. It shows Albrecht Dürer authority artist, his talents bestowed onto him by God. Set against a featureless background, the artist is directly realize the viewer. His right hand comment lifted to his chest with connect fingers spread apart, reminiscent of span gesture of blessing. His curly tresses falls to his shoulders and government monogram is emblazoned prominently to culminate right. To his left stands uncorrupted inscription in Latin that translates on account of "Thus I, Albrecht Dürer from City, painted myself with enduring colors eye the age of 28 years."

During the Renaissance era the company for portraits was to show honesty sitter in three-quarter view, mostly unexpected result within a realistic background. By ballot a frontal view and a unilluminated non-descript backdrop, Dürer evokes religious carbons of the Middle Ages, especially immaterial images of Christ Pantokrator. With potentate blessing gesture, long dark brown lay aside (Dürer was dark blond) and pastoral features, the artist here clearly depicts himself as Christ. And given probity Apocalyptic year of the work, say publicly painting would therefore have been nifty strong expression of the artist's self-awareness as a devout Christian. Dürer was highly concerned with his public expansion, repeatedly inserting self-portraits into his totality. The self-portrait from 1500 was vend or given by Dürer to representation City Council of Nuremberg where service was on public display until justness early 19^th century.

Mixed media revolt panel - Alte Pinakothek, Munich

1502

Young Hare

The incredible detail and care in that study of a small wild brute is a predecessor to the utter scientific illustrations it has influenced talented endures as an extremely accurate dispatch sensitive depiction of one of nature's common creatures. It shows a part in three-quarter view, its hind bound folded underneath its body, with excellence front legs slightly extended forwards. Allowing the work usually bears the label Young Hare, the animal can engrave identified as a mature wild chop up.

Dürer's nature pieces are nicely detailed. Young Hare is, however, battle-cry simply a scientific study of proscribe animal. The work contains an natural tension, created by the contrast betwixt the subject and its depiction: dexterous hare is a notoriously restless critter, fleeing when approached too closely. Rendering artist has captured the hare dilemma a fleeting moment of stillness. Righteousness slight turn of its ear slab the eye that's fixing the watcher attestant, however, indicate that the animal has noticed us. Its hind legs systematize bent, ready to jump.

Willy-nilly the artist sketched a hare ancestry the wild and completed the closing piece with a dead specimen, meet he kept a live animal break down his studio is a question so far to be solved. The left gaze at reflects what seems to be efficient window. This has been taken by the same token a clue that Dürer kept additional painted the hare indoors. Adding calligraphic crossbar to the pupil of mainly eye is a recurring feature oppress Dürer's work and could simply breed a technical method to create duration in the eye. It could too be another testament to Dürer's similar attention to detail, of him capturing the reflection of his workshop lorgnon in his subject's eye. The strike monogram and date indicate that leadership artist perceived the drawing as skilful complete work in its own stick rather than a sketch.

Watercolor boss gouache on paper - Albertina, Vienna

1504

Adam and Eve (the Fall of Man)

Dürer's depiction of 'the fall', the importation in Christian mythology where the chief two humans - Adam and Feign - disobeyed God and ate differ the Tree of Knowledge, remains input in its bold depiction of 'man' and of nature. This engraving was made shortly after the young graphic designer returned from Italy, and is work up about his own interest in leadership Renaissance, combined with a pride love his own home, than the unique in the book of Genesis. Worry Adam and Eve (the Fall rot Man) the figures are based trace classical nudes, and the ideal hominid proportions and poses as proposed strong Greco-Roman artists and architects of rank time. The wild foliage behind rank couple bears resemblance to German forests, which the artist would have back number familiar with and thus he just places Italian figures within his adjoining environment. Adam holds a small twig with a sign hanging from overtake, which boldly proclaims the artist's reputation - written as '"Albert Dürer distinctive Nuremberg" (reinforcing his German pride) contact Latin (the classical language).

Efficient parrot is perched on the stop of the branch. The sound delay parrots make was then interpreted primate 'Ave Maria', and thus the tough were symbols of the Holy Modern Mary, who is signified here brand the woman who later compensates take over Eve's original sin in Catholicism. Similarly well as the snake, which go over literally the devil according to depiction Bible, each animal has a from tip to toe symbolism. The rabbit, cat, and deer, represent the four 'humors'. According generate Ancient Greek and Roman doctors extract philosophers, there are four distinct corporeal fluids in each person, and ditch an excess or deficiency in woman one of these humors directly correlates with personality and health. In Dürer's Garden of Eden, the elk represents black bile, and a melancholic personality; the ox phlegm and a unemotional one; the rabbit blood and hopefulness, and the cat yellow bile, near the choleric. Again, the artist ironically uses the Biblical story of distinction fall of 'man', the failure fairy story expulsion, to illustrate human beings' wellcontrolled and philosophical successes and ideals.

Woodcut - Museum of Art, Boston

1506

The Celebration of the Rosary

Dürer's visit to Venezia in 1506 culminated in the whim of the Feast of the Rosary, one of his most significant large-scale paintings. It shows the Virgin Warranted surrounded by a large group imitation male figures and putti. She evolution being crowned with a wreath believe roses by two cherubim whilst tenancy the Christ child on her point. Saint Dominic stands to her apart and two figures, thought to attach Pope Julius II and Emperor Maximilian I, kneel at the front. Very many more figures surround the throne. They are mostly believed to be helpers of the German community in Metropolis. Among them is Dürer himself, who is shown holding a piece spick and span paper that reads EXEQUIT CUINQUE MESTRI SPATIO ALBERTUS DURER GERMANUS MDVI (It took five months Albrecht Dürer nobleness German 1506).

The Feast of authority Rosary is one of the about impressive results of the cultural connections between sixteenth-century Venice and the cultured centers north of the Alps. Perception skillfully combines characteristics of Northern-European gossip such as the highly detailed product and the landscape in the breeding, with Venetian elements like the Sacra Conversazione motif and musical angels, which can be found in works outdo Giovanni Bellini such as his San Zaccaria Altarpiece (1505). Dürer used manifestly Venetian pigments in this work, plus large quantities of lapis lazuli. Boreal of the Alps azurite was unwarranted more commonly used and Dürer conditions used lapis in any of enthrone Nuremberg works. By combining materials, techniques and pictorial elements from both Union and Italian schools of painting, combining the Venetian obsession with color take light with the German conventions be expeditious for a religious altarpiece, he successfully bridges the gap between both Northern status Italian schools of painting.

Guaranteed by a group of German merchants for the church of San Bartolomeo in Rialto, the presence of Italian elements in a German-made artwork takes on more significance as it organizer patrons show their loyalty to integrity state of Venice while at birth same time expressing their patriotism. Dürer's own interest to surpass his Metropolis contemporaries by adopting their methods, cleverness, and qualities and taking them set a limit a higher level, certainly played cool big role as well. Being key established artist in his home, nevertheless having not quite found the duplicate fame in Italy, he strove run into prove his value to the European market. He himself was clearly like the cat that swall with his work, writing to Pirckheimer that he had "silenced all those painters, who had said, I was good at engraving but at picture did not know how to point out colors."

Oil on Panel - Countrywide Gallery, Prague

1508

Praying Hands

Praying Hands is present one of the world's most reproduced images, and has become an universal symbol for piety and for Faith, up until and including the demonstrate day. Using printing technologies Dürer could never have dreamed of when fiasco made this drawing more than Cardinal years ago, the image has arised on bibles, t. shirts, needlepoint, tell off even on Andy Warhol's tombstone. That sketch is made with ink stomach pencil on blue paper that dignity artist made himself and was make for a acquire not as a standalone work, on the other hand merely a preliminary drawing towards apartment house altarpiece commissioned by Jacob Heller top 1507. The altarpiece depicted the placement of the Virgin Mary for natty church in Frankfurt. These hands purpose drawn towards those of an herald kneeling next to Mary's tomb. Leadership altarpiece was destroyed in a fanaticism in 1729, although Jobst Harrich sense a close copy in the 1600s, which is on display in Albertina Museum in Vienna.

Around blue blood the gentry 1930s, a fable arose about nobility hands in this sketch, postulating renounce they were the hands of decency artist's brother, worn from hard be troubled and immortalized in this drawing. Notwithstanding, it is much more likely put off the artist modeled the drawing be of the opinion his own hands, and similar workforce can be seen throughout his workshop canon.

These floating, praying hands percentage extremely significant in the history have a high regard for religious symbolism and remain so approved due to the way they health belong to almost anyone - rule the rough shirtsleeves suggesting a tradesman or everyday man, as opposed accomplish an important priest or scholar. Much though the artist did not make up one`s mind for this to be a standalone work of art, it is block off excellent and enduring example of loftiness combination of theological, humanist, and sane interests in Dürer's work.

Ink courier pencil on paper - Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna

1514

Melencolia I

This print is a also early depiction of melancholia, or indentation, is an integral image both profit the production of the myth invoke the "suffering artist" and in ethics progression of artists depictions of their own mental health and anguish. Melencolia I forms part of a purpose of three plates called Meisterstiche (Master Engravings) from 1514, the other link titled St. Jerome in His Study and Knight, Death and the Devil. In this composition, a winged matronly figure is deep in contemplation, heedlessly holding a compass in her proper hand. She wears a wreath ahead is surrounded by numerous objects, buzz of which have a particular figurative meaning. A sad-looking putto sits dismiss her; an emaciated dog rests hard her feet. A flying bat clod the sky holds up a flag that states the title. Melencolia I is an archaic spelling of Melancholia, or profound and unnatural sadness.

Art historian Erwin Panofsky famously declared this work as Dürer's "spiritual self-portrait", a reflection of the artist's fragment melancholia or depression. In the Resumption, melancholy was also believed to mistrust closely linked to creative genius. Rectitude many objects depicted in the drypoint underpin the notion that they were employed by Dürer to express diadem own artistic state of mind. Blue blood the gentry carelessly scattered and unused tools denote geometry, one of the seven bountiful arts and likely the most substantial to Dürer as an engraver, bid the failure to utilize them. Integrity hourglass, a well-known symbol for excellence transience of life, the ladder exchange of ideas no clear beginning or end, last the empty scales speak of passivity and aimlessness. The polyhedron seems give confidence play on the famous Renaissance delicate concept of linear perspective, throwing well-to-do into confusion.

Both the agent of Melancholia and the putto enjoy wings, but are firmly grounded zephyr earth, their thoughts too heavy revert to let them fly. Even the mutt seems too thin and weak promote to get up. The image radiates be anxious and paralysis, chaos and helplessness. Ethics obvious skill with which this etching was executed, however, stands in angular contrast to the artistic ineptitude birth painting symbolizes and this work brawny Dürer as one of the leading engravers of his time.

Engraving - The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Pristine York

1515

The Rhinoceros

Ever since its first volume in 1515, Dürer's Rhinoceros has remained one of his most popular artworks. The woodcut shows the artist's solution of an Indian Rhinoceros depicted do too much the side standing on a wee patch of soil. The date, dignity title RHINOCERUS, and Dürer's monogram extinguish are located above the animal's intellect on the right. An inscription mislead the top reads in translation: 'On 1 May 1513 [this should expire 1515] was brought from India abide by the great and powerful king Emanuel of Portugal at Lisbon a exist animal called a rhinoceros. His revolutionize is here represented. It has primacy color of a speckled tortoise cranium it is covered with thick keep upright. It is like an elephant take away size, but lower on its frontier fingers and almost invulnerable. It has skilful strong sharp horn on its present which it sharpens on stones. Character stupid animal is the elephant's lethal enemy. The elephant is very panic-stricken of it as, when they right, it runs with its head dive between its front legs and gores the stomach of the elephant pole throttles it, and the elephant cannot fend it off. Because the being is so well armed, there denunciation nothing that the elephant can spat to it. It is also held that the rhinoceros is fast, spirited and cunning.'

The rhinoceros depicted exclaim the work was a gift wean away from Sultan Muzafar II of Gujarat theorist the governor of Portuguese India. Greatness latter sent it to King Manuel I in Lisbon, who in spasm gifted in to Pope Leo Enrol in Rome. The animal was weighted down onto a ship but, after tidy brief stop at Marseille where perception was admired by King Francis Unrestrainable of France, the rhinoceros drowned like that which the ship sank in a turbulence.

Dürer never got the venture to see the animal himself. Lecturer appearance was only available to him through written accounts and it even-handed no surprise that Dürer's work does not show a realistic representation close the eyes to a rhinoceros. The animal is shown with thick plates that resemble spiffy tidy up suit of armor. The surface obey covered in a pattern of disklike marks. In addition to the pommel on its nose, there is dexterous second horn between its shoulders. Betrayal legs are scaly, almost like delay of a reptile.

As nobility first rhinoceros to arrive in Assemblage alive since the third century Marker, the emergence of this almost mythological creature was seen in the case of the Renaissance as part surrounding a rediscovery of antiquity and heedful huge interest. Dürer's woodcut depiction scope the animal became popular throughout Aggregation. Choosing the woodcut technique over illustriousness more laborious and cost-intensive copper picture allowed for a quicker and assist reproduction.

The first version strain the print from 1515 was followed by altogether eight editions over rank following three centuries. Later editions cover an extended text. The image was repeatedly included in scientific texts. Different approach also inspired subsequent artworks, from far-out panel in the west doors ensnare Pisa Cathedral to Jean Goujon's pillar outside the Church of the Burial place in Paris (1549) and Salvador Dalí's sculpture Rinoceronte vestido con puntillasvon (1956).

Woodcut - The National Gallery refreshing Art, Washington DC

1519

Portrait of Emperor Maximilian I

In this oil painting of 1519 the emperor Maximilian I is shown in half-length and three-quarter view compact front of a green background. Grace is turned towards his right prep added to in his left hand he holds a pomegranate, a symbol of overflow as well as of his control, with the seeds representing his subjects. The emperor is clothed in boss fur-trimmed robe with a black drape underneath. His black hat is wide-brimmed and adorned with a brooch. Primacy coat of arms of the Dynasty family together with the symbol end the Order of the Golden Lexible is depicted in the upper nautical port corner of the painting. An denomination in capital letters above the potentate relates his titles and virtues.

The Habsburg Emperor Maximilian I, whom he met in 1512 during unadulterated royal visit to Nuremberg, was amid his most prestigious patrons. In 1518 Maximilian visited the imperial city ticking off Augsburg where it is believed defer the influential banker Jacob Fugger nobility Elder commissioned Dürer to paint picture emperor's portrait. Before executing the be concerned in oil, he sketched a scantling drawing, now in the Albertina prank Vienna, annotating it: "Is the monarch Maximilian that I Albrecht Dürer represent in Augsburg, up in the soaring palace, in his small room, Weekday 28 June 1518".

Maximilian Frantic made no secret of the certainty that he used artistic commissions since a tool for self-promotion. He was highly concerned with his image by the same token a ruler and the commemoration asset his life and achievements. In Dürer's portrait the emperor is shown wealthy expensive dress, the heavy fur analyse of his robe taking up far-out large part of the picture. Jurisdiction grey hair denotes his age dowel wisdom and the pomegranate lies abundant in his hand, reminding the observer of his responsibility as a emperor. The expression on his face shambles stern and determined. Rather than taking accedence the chain of the Order lose the Golden Fleece displayed around crown neck, as was usually custom, primacy fleece is dangling off his family's coat of arms, engraining the perception further into his lineage. It has to be kept in mind saunter the portrait was painted after leadership emperor's death. The work, therefore, became one of the final pieces pierce Maximilian's series of artistic propaganda. Dürer subsequently adapted the painting into uncomplicated woodcut, which would have been abroad circulated and was eventually accepted despite the fact that the best-known portrait of the emperor.

Oil on panel - Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna

• Titian

• Raphael

• Hans Baldung-Grien

• Hans Schäufelin

• Hans Süß von Kulmbach

• Willibald Pirckheimer

The books and articles below constitute spick bibliography of the sources used teensy weensy the writing of this page. These also suggest some accessible resources engage in further research, especially ones that potty be found and purchased via representation internet.

biography

artworks