Albrecht Dürer

By Sandra Forty

Albrecht Dürer, who lived from 1471 to 1528, worked during the time of Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation. Typical of his era, religion was the subject of most of his creative work. We know more about Dürer than many artists of his day, thanks to his proclivity with the pen as well as with his paintbrush. He was also widely known across Europe during his lifetime because much of his work was disseminated by printing. Dürer left a considerable body of work: around 1,300 drawings and sketches, copper engravings, woodcut prints, numerous portraits, and several significant altarpieces. Dürer single-handedly transformed the way woodcuts were composed to produce much more texture within the finished print. After his death, Dürer’s reputation achieved almost cult status in Germany, with huge jubilee celebrations in 1828, 300 years after his death. Today, Dürer is justifiably renowned as one of the greatest Renaissance artists.

• Language: English
• Publisher: TAJ Books International
• Release date: Mar 1, 2012
• ISBN: 9781844062157

Sandra Forty

Sandra Forty is a graduate of London University where she studied medieval and early modern history, including a spell at the Courtauld Institute learning about Renaissance art from Professor Gombrich. Since then she has worked as a journalist in London, then as a book editor and writer. She is the author of a number of books, most on art and architecture. Sandra lives in south Devon with her husband, children and many cats.

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Published by TAJ Books International LLP 2012

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ISBN 978-1-84406-194-5

ISBN 978-1-84406-215-7 (eBook)

Printed in China.

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Contents

ALBRECHT DÜRER

Plates

Index

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ALBRECHT DÜRER

May 21, 1471–April 6, 1528

Albrecht Dürer was the pre-eminent graphic artist and painter of the North European Renaissance and the most celebrated German Renaissance artist. More than just an artist, he was a very capable mathematician and an important personality of his day. He was well-traveled and literate and kept the company of many of the period’s greatest names. Dürer worked at the time of Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation. While much of his output was—as with most artists of the time—on religious subjects, and he seems to have been sympathetic to the aims of the Reformation, there is no indication that he became personally involved with it. He became famous across Europe within his lifetime because so much of his work was disseminated by printing, and subsequently has left a considerable body of work: around 1,300 drawings and sketches, copper engravings, woodcut prints, and paintings— numerous portraits and a number of significant altarpieces.

We know more about Dürer than many artists of his day, thanks to