ART 235: Pre-Modern Art History

The author deepens our understanding of Diirer’s work by paying special attention to his writings and their relationship to his life and art. For the first time Diirer’s treatises on art theory are regarded as an essential part of his accomplishment, culminating in three works printed between 1525 and 1528 which can be closely linked with The Four Apostles, the painter’s masterpiece of 1526. In order to better understand this interrelationship of theory and practice, Diirer’s oeuvre is treated within the framework of European artistic development. Particular emphasis is placed upon the artist’s humanistic and religious beliefs, above all his self- ordained mission as artistic reformer and his search for a monumental art which embodied the Protestant faith.

In the years from 1380 to 1580, northern Europe witnessed a period of artistic innovation as dynamic as contemporary developments in Italy. Stimulated by the atmosphere of intellectual curiosity about the individual and the natural world, Northern Renaissance artists mastered the new techniques of oil painting and printmaking to produce some of the most exquisite art of all time. It was also a period of political, religious and social turmoil, which profoundly changed the patronage, production and subject matter of art. The works range from tapestries, altarpieces and illuminated manuscripts to churches, palaces and civic architecture.

Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528) embodies the modern ideal of the Renaissance man--he was a remarkable painter, printmaker, draftsman, designer, theoretician, and even a poet. More is known about his thoughts and his life than about any other Northern European master of his time, since he wrote extensively about himself, his family's history, his travels, and his friends. Although there is a vast specialized literature on the Nuremberg master, The Essential Dürer fills the need for a foundational book that covers the major aspects of his career. The essays included in this book, written by leading scholars from the United States and Germany, provide an accessible, up-to-date examination of Dürer's art and person as well as his posthumous fame. The essays address an array of topics, from separate and detailed studies of his paintings, drawings, printmaking, and sculpture, to broader concerns such as his visits to and interactions with Venice and the Netherlands, his personal relationships, and his relationships with other artists.

Albrecht Dürer's (1471-1528) work stands out as one of the most innovative of the Northern Renaissance, revolutionising landscape and portraiture techniques in both religious and secular painting. This book offers a wide selection of Dürer's works, and its compact format makes it the ideal gift for every art lover.

Producing more self-portraits than any other artist of his day; mass marketing his best-selling prints; even inventing his own monogram logo; Albrecht Dürer was commercially astute long before today's generation of self-promoting and financially-savvy artists. There are 55 extant Dürer paintings, of which 17 are in dispute. Using scientific research, this book puts all arguments to bed resulting in the definitive catalog raisonné of the paintings. Drawing on in-depth research, this book reveals the truth behind Dürer and his art.

This generously illustrated volume on the work of Dürer makes the world's greatest art accessible to readers of every level of appreciation. This monograph explores Dürer's entire life and oeuvre by focusing on the most important of his works. It follows the artist as he traveled throughout Europe, completing commissions for noblemen, kings, emperors, and popes-all the while satisfying his own thirst for knowledge and struggling with the changes brought about by the Reformation.