| Albrecht Durer, a German painter, theorist, and | | | | of seventeen designs on the "Life of the Virgin |
| printmaker, was recognized as one of the most | | | | (1503-1505)." Albrecht Durer also started |
| important contributors of Renaissance in Northern | | | | experimenting with copper engravings. These |
| Europe. His paintings depict his scrupulous attention | | | | works are themed around Madonna, religious |
| to detail. He was born on May 21, 1471, in | | | | figures, and commoners. His famous works of |
| Nuremberg. His father was a goldsmith from | | | | copper engravings span from "The Sea Monster |
| Hungary, who immigrated to Germany in 1455. | | | | (1498)," "Saint Eustace (1501)," to "Nemesis |
| Albrecht Durer became an apprentice under his | | | | (1502)." |
| father and learnt from him goldsmithing and the | | | | During 1505-1507, Durer again visited Italy and |
| fundamentals of drawing. Later, due to his prolific | | | | started using his paint on linen. While in Italy, the |
| talent in drawing, Albrecht was trained under | | | | artist created famous altarpieces, such as |
| Michael Wolgemut at the age of 15 in 1486. While | | | | "Paumgartner" and "the Adoration of the Magi." |
| working under him, Durer nurtured his knowledge | | | | After returning to Nuremberg in mid 1507, he |
| by learning woodcarving and copper engraving. | | | | created other famous paintings, such as "Adam |
| The earliest work by the artist was in 1484, a | | | | and Eve (1507)" and "Virgin with the Iris (1508)." |
| self-portrait, "When I was a Child," in silverpoint. | | | | From 1512, Maximilian I, the Roman Emperor, |
| As per Germany's apprentice training custom, | | | | started giving regular work to the artist. Later, |
| 'Wanderjahre,' Albrecht left for North Europe in | | | | Durer created three of his masterpieces, "Knight, |
| 1940 and travelled through Basel & Colmar in | | | | Death, and the Devil (1513)," "Saint Jerome in his |
| 1492, Strassbourg in 1493, to return to | | | | Study (1514)," and "Melencolia I (1514)." These |
| Nuremburg on July 7, 1494. On July 9, 1494, | | | | three engravings portrayed 'Northern Renaissance' |
| Albrecht was married to Agnes Frey, the | | | | and showed the three activities of human life. |
| daughter of a local businessperson. Within a | | | | "Knight, Death, and the Devil" emphasize the |
| quarter of his marriage, the artist alone ventured | | | | ethical, "Melencolia" depicts the logical, while |
| out to explore Italy. While travelling through Alps, | | | | "St.Jerome," the introspective part of life. His |
| the artist gave some of the first landscape | | | | other masterpiece was "Durer's Rhinoceros |
| paintings to Western Art, "Nemesis" being one of | | | | (1515)," a magnificent woodcarving that attained |
| those. Albrecht's paintings demonstrated the | | | | tremendous fame all across Europe. The Emperor |
| influence of Italian painters, such as Antonio | | | | died in 1519. In 1520, Durer travelled to the |
| Pollaiuolo and Lorenzo di Credi. He regarded | | | | various parts of The Netherlands to return to |
| Giovanni Bellini, the great Italian artist, as his | | | | Nuremberg in July 1521, after being diagnosed for |
| mentor. | | | | a hampering illness. |
| After his return to Nuremberg in 1495, the artist | | | | Due to his ill health, the artist emphasized more |
| started his workshop, where he ventured into | | | | on religious elements in his paintings like the |
| woodcarving and would carry out the tedious | | | | "Crucifixion of Christ." In 1525, a couple of his |
| form of printmaking effortlessly. The several | | | | books, "The Four Books on Measurement" were |
| wooden carvings he created depict religious | | | | published at Nuremberg. He died on April 6, 1528, |
| influences, as in his masterpiece, "Apocalypse | | | | at the age of 56. His famous workshop is now a |
| (1498)." Albrecht created sixteen designs of this | | | | museum. Albrecht Durer was a great artist of |
| work, famous among them is "The Four | | | | 'Northern Renaissance,' a fact manifested in his |
| Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1497-98)." The | | | | huge following. He was an all-encompassing genius |
| series brought instant recognition to Albrecht, | | | | in painting, wooden printmaking, and copper |
| including from his European contemporaries. His | | | | engraving. He has quoted, "If a man devotes |
| other famous woodcarvings include a series of | | | | himself to art, much evil is avoided that happens |
| eleven designs on the "Holy Family" and a series | | | | otherwise if one is idle. |