History of World Art II: Day 37

Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528) was the dominant artist of the early 16th century in the Holy Roman Empire. He was the first artist outside of Italy to become an international celebrity. He was a German painter, printmaker, mathematician, engraver, and theorist from Nuremberg. It seems he was the Northern most Renaissance man.

He was extremely interested in the classical ideas being explored by Italian Renaissance artists and traveled extensively throughout Italy to study Italian art and learn these theories from the source. He wrote theoretical treatises on subjects such as perspective, fortification, and human proportions which he finished and published.

He seems to have found his talent at an early age, evidence by a well executed self-portrait done in silver point at the age of 13.

His skill at engraving was unrivaled, possibly even to this day. He laid layers of lines and cross-hatching with his burin creating fine tonal qualities that separated and highlighted each figure and element of the composition. Each detail can be seen and is highly developed and thought out. His skill was praised for rivaling painting and Erasmus referred to him as the "Apelles (famous ancient greet painter) of black lines."