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Awareness: Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528)

10/28/2018

Self-Portrait at Twenty-Eight
1500
Oil on Panel
26.4 x 19.3 in (67.1 x 48.9 cm.)
Alte Pinakothek, Munich

Head of a Man
1505
Brown ink on Paper
8.2 x 5.8 in (20.8 x 14.8 cm)
British Museum

Albrecht Dürer

Born in Nuremburg in 1471, Dürer quickly became a skilled draftsman and painter. Apprenticed to Michael Wolgemut, a local painter for printed books, he formed a connection with printmaking that would later make him famous. At various points throughout his life, seemingly prompted by outbreaks of the Plague, Dürer took trips around Europe, and especially to Venice, where he was inspired by the works of artists such as Giovanni Bellini and Lorezno di Credi. In Italy, Dürer studied human proportion and perspective from some of the masters, topics that he would later write about. Dürer explored and used a wide variety of techniques, from watercolor to silverpoint. However, Dürer is best known for his prints. The Apocalypse, a series of 15 woodcuts of scenes from the Book of Revelation, propelled Dürer to fame. The mastery displayed in both his woodcuts and engravings astonished an audience new to the medium, and the imagery so expertly displayed entranced them. Dürer’s talents became sought-after, and commissions became common. However, even though he was more famous for his printmaking, he also spent time painting, and switched off between the mediums throughout his life. As he neared the end of his life, Dürer began to write more, leaving treatises on both art and science. Durer died in 1528 at the age of 56 years old.

The Four Horsemen, from The Apocalypse
1498
Woodcut
15 ¼ x 11 in. (38.7 x 27.9 cm)
Metropolitan Museum of Art

Read this article about Dürer and Printmaking: themorgan.org
Click through these 17 pictures of Dürer's art in a variety of mediums: nga.gov
Watch these videos about Dürer's art:

Answer these questions based on the videos, reading, and any further research:

Give at least 3 reasons that prints were useful and important medium (and explain!).
What role did religion play in Dürer’s life and surrounding? How did it affect his art?
Explain the basics of how a woodblock print is created. What changes did Dürer bring to this tradition?

Here are some more interesting EXTRA videos and documentaries about Dürer: