Albrecht Dürer

Biography & Life

Albrecht Dürer was a German painter, printmaker, and theorist of the German Renaissance. Born in Nuremberg, Dürer established his reputation and influence across Europe in his twenties due to his high-quality woodcut prints. He was in contact with major Italian artists of his time, including Raphael, Giovanni Bellini and Leonardo da Vinci, and from 1512 was patronized by Emperor Maximilian I. Dürer's vast body of work includes engravings, altarpieces, portraits and self-portraits, watercolours and books. His woodcuts revolutionised the potential of that medium, while his extraordinary handling of the burin expanded the tonal range of his engravings. Well-known engravings include the three Meisterstiche (master prints): Knight, Death and the Devil (1513), Saint Jerome in his Study (1514), and Melencolia I (1514). His watercolours mark him as one of the first European landscape artists. Dürer's introduction of classical motifs and the nude into Northern art has secured his reputation as one of the most important figures of the Northern Renaissance.

Historical Significance

Leading artist of the German Renaissance who revolutionized printmaking and introduced Italian Renaissance techniques to Northern Europe

Key Facts

• Profession: Painter, Printmaker, Theorist
• Lifespan: 1471 – 1528
• Nationality: German