— the “greatest German artist of all time” — suddenly gave up on painting. Although, over the following decades, he still painted the odd portrait and a few rather fine panels, he never took on another major commission, least of all for an altarpiece. It was a bewildering decision. Even Dürer was probably a little surprised. Although he had trained as an engraver and had already published a number of remarkable woodcuts, he had always believed that painting was the surest route to fame. After cutting his teeth on a few early compositions, he made two trips
