The work of Albrecht Dürer in brief. The most famous paintings of Albrecht Dürer

), who came to this German city from Hungary in the middle of the 15th century, and Barbara Holper. The Dürers had eighteen children, of whom eight survived. The future artist was the third child and the second son. His father, Albrecht Dürer Sr., a goldsmith, literally translated his Hungarian surname Aytoshi (Hungarian Ajtósi, from the name of the village of Aytosh, from the word ajtó - “door”), literally translated into German as Türer; subsequently it was transformed under the influence of the Frankish pronunciation and began to be written Dürer. Albrecht Dürer Jr. remembered his mother as a pious woman who punished her children "zealously" and often. Possibly weakened by her frequent pregnancies, she was sick a lot. Dürer's godfather was the famous German publisher Anton Koberger:6.

From 1477 Albrecht attended a Latin school. At first, the father attracted his son to work in a jewelry workshop. However, Albrecht wished to paint. During these years, he created a self-portrait (1484, Albertina, Vienna) and the Madonna with Two Angels (1485, Engraving Cabinet, Berlin). The elder Dürer, despite regretting the time spent on teaching his son, yielded to his requests, and at the age of 15 Albrecht was sent to the studio of the leading Nuremberg artist of that time, Michael Wolgemuth. Dürer himself spoke about this in the "Family Chronicle", created by him at the end of his life: 5.

Wolgemut Dürer mastered not only painting, but also engraving on wood and copper. Wolgemuth, together with his stepson Wilhelm Pleidenwurff, performed engravings for The Book of Chronicles by Hartmann Schedel. In the work on the most illustrated book of the 15th century, which experts consider the Book of Chronicles, Wolgemut was helped by his students. One of the engravings for this edition, "The Dance of Death", is attributed to Albrecht Dürer :97-98.

First trip. Marriage

A. Durer. Agnes Durer. Pen drawing. 1494

Trip to Italy

It is believed that in 1494 or a little earlier, Dürer undertook a trip to Italy. In the Family Chronicle, Dürer does not write anything about this trip, some researchers suggest that the artist made it in 1493/1494-1495 (there is also an opinion that it did not take place), where, perhaps, he gets acquainted with the work of Mantegna, Polayolo, Lorenzo di Credi, Giovanni Bellini and other masters.

Some researchers see confirmation that Dürer traveled to Italy in 1493 / 1494-1495 in his letter from Venice to Pirckheimer dated February 7, 1506, where the artist talks about those works of Italians that he liked "eleven years ago", but now don't like it anymore. Supporters of the version of the first trip to Italy also pay attention to the memoirs of the Nuremberg lawyer Christoph Scheirl, who in his Book in Praise of Germany (1508) calls Dürer's visit to Italy in 1506 "the second". All undated landscape sketches by Durer, which became the first watercolors in the fine arts of Western Europe in this genre, belong to the supporters of the version specifically to the Italian journey of 1493/1494-1495. Later, Dürer uses these motifs, as well as studies of the environs of Nuremberg, in his engravings:27.

Getting started on your own

In the last decade of the 15th century, the artist created several pictorial portraits: his father, the merchant Oswald Krehl (1499, Alte Pinakothek, Munich), the Saxon elector Frederick III (1494/97) and a self-portrait (1498, Prado, Madrid). One of Dürer's best and most significant works between 1494/5 and 1505 (the artist's supposed first and second travels to Italy) is considered to be The Adoration of the Magi, written by Dürer for Frederick III. Somewhat earlier, Dürer, probably with assistants, completed the Seven Sorrows polyptych for the Elector of Saxony (about 1500).

Venice

Nuremberg 1506-1520

Altar of Landauer. 1511. Museum of Art History. Vein

In 1509, Dürer was elected a named member of the Great Council of Nuremberg, it is possible that in this capacity he took part in the artistic projects of the city. In the same year, he bought a house in Zisselgasse (now the Dürer House Museum): 8.

In 1511, Dürer, commissioned by the Nuremberg merchant Matthias Landauer, painted the altarpiece "Adoration of the Holy Trinity" ("Landauer Altarpiece", Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna): 106-107. The iconographic program of the altar, which consisted of a picture and a wooden carved frame made by an unknown Nuremberg master, in the upper part of which the scene of the Last Judgment was carved, was developed by Dürer. It was based on Augustine's treatise "On the City of God". In 1585, when Rudolf II purchased the painting by Dürer, the frame remained in Nuremberg:106. Despite his success and established fame (Jakob Wimpfeling in his German History wrote that Dürer's paintings are valued in Italy "... as highly as the paintings of Parrasius and Apelles"), the artist nevertheless realizes that he is not able to change the attitude their customers, who, according to a tradition rooted in Germany, considered the painter to be just a craftsman. So, judging by the letters to Jakob Geller, for whom Dürer performed the altarpiece "Ascension of Mary", this Frankfurt merchant was dissatisfied with the increase in the terms of work, and the artist had to explain that a work of high quality, unlike ordinary paintings, requires more time. Geller was eventually satisfied with the work done, but the reward received for it by Dürer barely covered the cost of the materials used.

Dürer focused his efforts on achieving the highest skill in engraving, seeing this as the right path to recognition and material well-being: 7. Even before the trip to Venice, Dürer's main income was the proceeds from the sale of engravings. The implementation was carried out by the artist's mother and wife at the fairs in Nuremberg, Augsburg and Frankfurt am Main. Dürer's engravings were sent to other cities and countries along with the goods of the merchants Imhof and Tucher.

From 1507 to 1512, Dürer made many engravings to order, as well as a series of religious engravings (Life of Mary, Great Passion, Small Passion, Passion on copper), intended for sale. In 1515-1518, Durer tries to work in a new technique at that time - etching. Since acids for etching copper were not yet known at that time, Dürer performed etchings on iron boards. A little earlier, in 1512, Dürer used such a type of engraving as “ drypoint”, but soon left it.

In the summer of 1518, Dürer represented the city of Nuremberg at the Reichstag in Augsburg, where he painted portraits of Maximilian I, Jacob Fugger and other famous participants in the congress.

Works for Maximilian I

A. Durer. Portrait of Maximilian I

Since 1512, Emperor Maximilian I has become the main patron of the artist. By that time, having become a well-known engraving master, Dürer, together with the students of his workshop, took part in work on the order of the emperor: “Arc de Triomphe”, a monumental woodcut (3.5 x 3 m), compiled from prints from 192 boards: 8. The grandiose composition, conceived and realized in honor of Maximilian, was intended to decorate the wall. Ancient Roman triumphal arches served as a model for it. Pirckheimer and Johann Stabius (idea and symbols), court painter Jörg Kölderer, engraver Hieronymus Andrea took part in the development of this project: 76 . In addition to the "Arc de Triomphe", Marx Treitzsaurwein developed the engraving project "Triumphal Procession", woodcuts for it were made by Dürer together with Albrecht Altdorfer and Hans Springinklee. In 1513, the artist, along with other leading German masters, took part in illustrating (pen drawings) one of the five copies of The Emperor Maximilian's Prayer Book. The financial difficulties constantly experienced by the emperor did not allow him to pay off Durer on time. Maximilian offered the artist exemption from city taxes, but this was opposed by the Council of Nuremberg. Dürer also received a letter from Maximilian (Freibrief), which protected his woodcuts and copper engravings from copying. In 1515, at the request of Dürer, the emperor granted him a lifetime pension of 100 guilders per year, from the amounts contributed by the city of Nuremberg to the imperial treasury.

Dürer and the Reformation

In 1517, Dürer joined the circle of the Nuremberg reformers, headed by the Augustinian vicar Johann Staupitz and his colleague Wenceslas Link. Acquaintance with the writings of Martin Luther, which, according to the artist, “helped him a lot” ( der mir aus großen engsten geholfen hat) probably occurred around 1518. The artist maintained relations with prominent figures of the Reformation: Zwingli (whose teaching he became interested in for some time), Karlstadt, Melanchthon, Cornelius Grapheus, Nicholas Kratzer. Already after Dürer's death, Pirckheimer, remembering his friend, spoke of him as a "good Lutheran". At the beginning of 1518, Dürer sent Luther his engravings, the artist hoped to engrave a portrait of Luther himself, but their personal meeting never took place. In 1521, when a false rumor spread that Luther had been captured after the Diet of Worms, Dürer wrote in his Diary of a Journey to the Netherlands: “Oh God, if Luther is dead, who will henceforth so clearly expound the holy gospel to us?” Dürer adhered to the views of the "iconoclasts", who opposed the deification of "miraculous" images, however, as is clear from the "Dedication to Pirckheimer" in the treatise "Guide to Measurement ...", he did not insist that works of art be removed from churches.

In the later works of Dürer, some researchers find sympathy for Protestantism. For example, in the engraving The Last Supper (1523), the inclusion of the Eucharistic chalice in the composition is considered to be an expression of the Calixtine idea, although this interpretation has been questioned. The delay in the release of the engraving "Saint Philip", completed in 1523 but not printed until 1526, may have been due to Dürer's doubts about the images of the saints; even if Dürer was not an iconoclast, he reassessed the role of art in religion in the last years of his life.

Trip to the Netherlands

A. Durer. Erasmus portrait. Paper, black chalk. OK. 1520

On October 4, 1520, Charles V confirmed Dürer's right to a pension of 100 guilders a year. Entries in the "Diary" on this end. The way back, judging by the sketches in the travel album, the artist did along the Rhine and the Main. The artist returned to Nuremberg in July 1521.

Last years

Dürer's grave in John's cemetery in Nuremberg

At the end of his life, Dürer worked a lot as a painter, during this period he created the most profound works in which familiarity with Dutch art is manifested. One of the most important paintings of recent years is the Four Apostles diptych, which the artist presented to the City Council in 1526. Among the researchers of Dürer's work, there are disagreements in the interpretation of this diptych - some, following the calligrapher Johann Neidörfer ( ), who completed the inscriptions on the painting on the artist’s instructions (quotes from the Bible in Luther’s translation), see in the Four Apostles only images of four temperaments, others see the master’s response to religious disagreements that shook Germany and reflect the idea of ​​“inconsistency between humanistic utopia and reality”: 105 .

In the Netherlands, Dürer fell victim to an unknown disease (possibly malaria), from which he suffered until the end of his life:92. Symptoms of the disease - including a severe enlargement of the spleen - he reported in a letter to his doctor. Dürer drew himself pointing to the spleen, in the explanation to the drawing he wrote: "Where there is a yellow spot, and what I point my finger at, it hurts me there."

Until the last days, Dürer was preparing his theoretical treatise on proportions for publication. Albrecht Dürer died on April 6, 1528 in his homeland in Nuremberg:11.

Durer's magic square

Fragment of Durer's engraving "Melancholy"

Dürer's "Magic Square" remains a complex mystery. If we consider the middle squares of the first vertical, it is striking that changes have been made to them - the numbers have been corrected: 6 is corrected for 5, and 9 is obtained from 5. Undoubtedly, Dürer did not accidentally enrich his "magic square" with such details that cannot be overlooked.

Star and geographic maps of Dürer

Drawings

"Guide to measuring with a compass and straightedge"

Some of the other sections of the short plan (problems of depicting architecture, perspective and chiaroscuro) were included in the treatise "Guide to measuring with a compass and ruler" ( Vnderweysung der messung mit dem zirckel vnd richtscheyt, published in 1525, the second edition with Dürer's amendments and additions was published in 1538) :11.

"Guide to the fortification of cities, castles and gorges"

In the last years of his life, Albrecht Dürer paid much attention to the improvement of defensive fortifications, which was caused by the development of firearms, as a result of which many medieval structures became ineffective. In his work "Guide to the fortification of cities, castles and gorges", released in 1527, Dürer describes, in particular, a fundamentally new type of fortification, which he called bastei. The creation of a new theory of fortification, according to Dürer himself, was due to his concern for protecting the population "from violence and unjust oppression." According to Durer, the construction of fortifications will give work to the disadvantaged and save them from hunger and poverty. At the same time, he noted that the main thing in defense is the stamina of defenders.

Memory

Comments

Notes

1. Russian humanitarian encyclopedic dictionary. Woodcut
2. Albrecht Dürer // One hundred most influential painters and sculptors of the Renaissance. - Britannica Educational Publishing. - The Rosen Publishing Group, 2009. - 376 p. - ISBN 9781615300433
3. Golovin V. Durer and the German Renaissance // M. Brion. Durer. - M .: Young Guard, 2006. - S. 9. - (Life of wonderful people).
4. Bartrum D. Dürer / Per. from English. - M .: Niola-Press, 2010. - 96 p. - (From the collection of the British Museum). - 3000 copies. - ISBN 978-5-366-00421-3
5. Durer A. Dürer's Literary Heritage // Treatises. Diaries. Letters / Translated by Nesselstrauss Z. . - M .: Art, 1957. - T. 1.
6. Nemirovsky E. Book world. From ancient times to the beginning of the 20th century / Reviewers A. A. Govorov, E. A. Dinershtein, V. G. Utkov. - Moscow: Book, 1986. - 50,000 copies.
7. Giulia Bartrum, "Albrecht Dürer and his Legacy", British Museum Press, 2002, ISBN 0-7141-2633-0
8. Rebel E. Albrecht Dürer, Maler und Humanist. - C. Bertelsmann, 1996. - S. 457.
9. Benois A. The history of painting of all times and peoples. - St. Petersburg. : Neva Publishing House, 2002. - Vol. 1. - S. 307. - 544 p. - ISBN 5-7654-1889-9
10. , With. thirty
11. Dürers Familienwappen (German). Museum Kloster Asbach. Archived from the original on May 30, 2012. Retrieved March 19, 2012.
12. Wolflin H. Die Kunst Albrecht Durers. - München: F Bruckmann, 1905. - S. 154-55.
13. Costantino Porcu (ed), Dürer, Rizzoli, Milan 2004. p. 112
14. Zuffy S. Large atlas of painting. Fine arts 1000 years / Scientific editor S. I. Kozlova. - Moscow: OLMA-PRESS, 2002. - ISBN 5-224-03922-3
15. Koroleva A. Durer. - M .: Olma Press, 2007. - S. 82. - 128 p. - (Gallery of geniuses). - ISBN 5-373-00880-X
16. Wipper B. Articles about art / Enter. article by G. N. Livanova. - M .: Art, 1970. - S. 107. - 591 p.
17. Rupprich H. Durer: Schrifilicher Nachlass, 3 vols. - Berlin: Deutscher Verein fur Kunstvvissenschaft, 1956-69. - T. 1. - S. 221.
18. Pirckheimer's letter to the architect Johann Cherte
19. Strauss, Walter L. (Ed.). The Complete Engravings, Etchings and Drypoints of Albrecht Durer. Dover Publications, 1973.

Albrecht Dürer is a German artist whose achievements have left a mark on science and art. He painted pictures, created drawings, engravings. The master was fond of studying geometry and astronomy, philosophy and urban planning. The memory of a talented artist is calculated in a large number of works. The scope of the legacy left by Albrecht Dürer is comparable to the collections and.

Childhood and youth

The Renaissance figure was born in Nuremberg on May 21, 1471 in a family of Hungarians who migrated to Germany. The German painter is the 3rd child of the 18 jeweler's children. By 1542, only three Dürer brothers survived: Albrecht, Endres and Hans.

In 1477, Albrecht was already a student of the Latin school, and at home he often helped his father. The parent cherished hopes that the boy would continue the family business, but his son's biography turned out differently. The talent of the future painter became noticeable early. Having received the first knowledge from his father, the boy set out to study with the engraver and painter Michael Wolgemuth. Durer Sr. was not long indignant and sent Albrecht under the care of an idol.

Wolgemuth's workshop had an impeccable reputation and popularity. The 15-year-old youth adopted the skills of painting, drawing and engraving on wood and copper. The debut was "Portrait of a Father".

From 1490 to 1494, Albrecht traveled around Europe, enriching knowledge and gaining experience. In Colmar, Dürer worked with the sons of Martin Schongauer, whom he did not have time to catch alive. Albrecht was a member of the circle of humanists and book printers.

On the journey, the young man received a letter from his father, announcing an agreement with the Frey family. The noble parents agreed to marry their daughter Agnes to Albrecht. He gained a new status and started his own business.

Painting

Dürer's creativity is boundless, as is the range of ideas and interests. Painting, engraving and drawing became the main activities. The artist left a legacy of 900 sheets of images. In terms of the volume and diversity of his works, art critics compare him with Leonardo da Vinci.

Dürer worked with charcoal, pencil, reed pen, watercolor and silver point, focusing on drawing as a stage in creating a composition. Religious themes played an important role in Dürer's work, which corresponded to the trends in the art of that era.

Non-standard thinking, a penchant for research and experimentation allowed the master to constantly develop. One of the first orders was the painting of the house of the townsman Sebald Schreyer. Having learned about the successful work of the artist, the Elector of Saxony Frederick the Wise commissioned him to have his portrait, and the patricians of Nuremberg followed suit. Durer followed the European tradition, depicting the model against the backdrop of a landscape in a three-quarter spread and working out in detail the smallest nuances of the image.

Engravings occupied a central place in the activity of the creator. Cycles of works appeared in his workshop in Germany. Debut copies created with the help of Anton Koberger. Nuremberg disposed to experiments and searches, so the master applied new techniques in his homeland.

The work sold well. The painter collaborated with city publications, creating images to order. In 1498, he made woodcuts for the publication of the Apocalypse, which brought the author fame in Europe. Dürer was accepted into society by humanists, whose leader was Kondrat Celtis.

In 1505, the artist created an altar image for the San Bartholomew Church in Venice called "The Feast of the Rosary". The plot describes Dominican monks praying with a rosary. In the center of the image is a baby.

The Italian school influenced the manner of the painter. He improved the technique of describing the human body in motion and complex angles. The artist understood the importance of the flexibility of lines and got rid of the Gothic angularity inherent in his manner. He received many commissions for altarpieces. The Venice Council offered Dürer a large reward so that the creator would remain in Italy, but he was faithful to his homeland. Dürer's fame grew rapidly and soon made it possible to purchase a house in Zisselgasse.

The Adoration of the Magi was written upon his return from Italy and shows the features of the Italian Renaissance. The picture describes a biblical story. Durer's works, created in the period from 1507 to 1511, are distinguished by symmetry, pragmatism, and a strict manner of depiction. Durer followed the wishes of his customers and adhered to a conservative tradition that did not limit the cycle of his Venetian works.

The meeting with Emperor Maximillian I became a landmark for the creative figure. Having familiarized himself with the works of the painter, the ruler ordered the production of his own portrait. But he could not pay right away, so he appointed the artist an annual award. She allowed Dürer to move away from painting, to engage in engraving and scientific research. The "Portrait of Maximilian" is known throughout the world: the crowned lady is depicted with a yellow pomegranate in her hands.

The German artist influenced the visual arts of Northern Europe in the 16th century. He extolled the genre of self-portrait, preserving the image for posterity. An interesting fact: Dürer amused vanity with his own portraits. He perceived such images as a way to emphasize status and capture himself at a particular life stage. This duplicates the modern possibilities of photography. Interesting are his self-portraits with holly and in clothes trimmed with fur.

Dürer kept drawings created during his studies, so the master's graphic works today form one of the largest collections in the world. Working on the image, Albrecht Dürer was not limited by the wishes of the customer and revealed himself in it to the maximum. He felt the same freedom when creating engravings.

“Knight, Death and the Devil” is the artist’s most famous engraving, symbolizing the life path of a person. Faith protects him from temptations, the devil is waiting for the moment to enslave him, and death is counting down the hours until death. "The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse" is a work from the biblical cycle. The winner, War, Famine and Death sweep away everyone and everything on the way, giving everyone their due.

Personal life

In 1494, Albrecht Dürer, at the insistence of his father, married Agnes Frey, a representative of an old family. As often happened in those days, young people did not see each other before the wedding. The only news from the groom was a self-portrait. Durer was not a fan of the institution of the family and devoted himself to creativity. The wife remained cold to art. Perhaps this is the reason that the personal life of the master is associated exclusively with his work.

Immediately after the wedding, Albrecht left his young wife, leaving for Italy. He remained unemotional towards his wife throughout their life together. Durer received recognition, acquired a status and position in society, but never reached an agreement with Agnes. The union did not bring offspring.

Death

After the death of Maximilian I in 1520, Dürer's premium ceased. He undertook a trip to clarify the circumstances and, while in the Netherlands, fell ill.

Biographers suggest that the artist was struck down by malaria. Attacks of the disease tormented the painter until the last days. 8 years later, on April 6, 1528, the painter died in his native Nuremberg.

Artworks

• 1490 - "Portrait of a father"
• 1490-1493 - "The miraculous rescue of a drowned boy from Bregenza"
• 1493 - "Behold, man"
• 1496 - "Portrait of Frederick III the Wise"
• 1496 - "Saint Jerome in the Wilderness"
• 1497 - "Four Witches"
• 1498 - "Apocalypse"
• 1500 - "Self-portrait in clothes trimmed with fur"
• 1504 - "Adoration of the Magi"
• 1507 - "Adam and Eve"
• 1506 - "Rose Wreath Festival"
• 1510 - "Assumption of the Virgin"
• 1511 - "Adoration of the Holy Trinity"
• 1514 - "Melancholy"
• 1528 - "Hare"

Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528) was a great German painter and graphic artist. He left behind a rich legacy: paintings, engravings, treatises. Durer improved the art of woodcuts, wrote works on the theory of painting. No wonder he is called the "Northern Leonardo da Vinci". Dürer's works have a high universal value, on a par with the work of the geniuses of the Italian Renaissance.

Biography

Youth

Albrecht Dürer, the artist's father, came to Nuremberg from Hungary. He was a jeweler. At 40, he married 15-year-old Barbara Holper. The couple had 18 children, but only 4 children survived to adulthood. Among them was Albrecht the Younger, the future great artist, who was born on May 21, 1471.

Little Albrecht went to a Latin school, where he learned to read and write. At first, he learned the art of jewelry from his father. However, the boy showed a talent for drawing, and his father, reluctantly, sent him to study with the famous German artist Michael Wolgemut. There, the young man learned not only to paint pictures, but also to make engravings.

At the end of his studies, in 1490, Dürer set off on the road to gain experience from other masters. For 4 years he visited Strasbourg, Basel, Colmar. During the trip, Albrecht studied with the sons of the famous engraver Martin Schongauer.

In 1493 Dürer marries Agnes Frey. It was a marriage of convenience, his wife Albrecht was picked up by his father, while his son was visiting Strasbourg. The marriage turned out to be childless and not entirely happy, but the couple lived together until the end. After his marriage, Albrecht Dürer was able to open his workshop.

Italy

For the first time, the German artist went to Italy in 1494. For about a year he lived in Venice, and visited Padua. There he first saw the work of Italian artists. Upon returning home, Albrecht Dürer became already a famous master. Especially great fame brought him engravings. After the death of his father in 1502, Albrecht takes care of his mother and brothers.

In 1505, the artist again travels to Italy to deal with local plagiarists who copy his engravings. In Venice, beloved by Albrecht, he lived for two years, studying the Venetian school of painting. Dürer was especially proud of his friendship with Giovanni Bellini. He also visited such cities as Rome, Bologna, Padua.

Patronage of Maximilian I

Upon returning from Italy, Dürer buys a large house, which has survived to this day. Now there is a museum of the artist.

At the same time, he is a member of the Great Nuremberg Council. The master works a lot on artistic commissions and engravings.

In 1512, Emperor Maximilian I took the artist under his patronage. Durer made several orders for him. Instead of paying for the work, the emperor appointed the artist an annual pension. It was to be paid by the city of Nuremberg at the expense of money transferred to the state treasury. However, after the death of Maximilian I in 1519, the city refused to pay Dürer's pension.

Trip to the Netherlands

The diary of Albrecht Dürer describes in detail the journey to the Netherlands, which he made with his wife in 1520-1521. During this trip, Dürer gets acquainted with the work of local artists. He was already quite famous, and he was warmly received everywhere, showing honors. In Antwerp, he was even offered to stay, promising money and a house. In the Netherlands, the master met Erasmus of Rotterdam. He is willingly hosted by local aristocrats, scientists, wealthy bourgeois.

Durer undertook such a long trip in order to confirm his rights to the pension of Charles V, who became the new emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. The artist attended his coronation in Aachen. Charles V granted Dürer's request. In 1521 the master returned home to his native Nuremberg.

In the Netherlands, Durer caught malaria. The disease tormented him for a long 7 years. The great artist died on April 6, 1528. He was 56 years old.

The legacy of Albrecht Dürer

Painting

In painting, Dürer was as versatile as in his other studies. He painted altar images traditional for that time, biblical scenes, and portraits. Acquaintance with Italian masters had a great influence on the artist. This is especially noticeable in the paintings made directly in Venice. However, Dürer does not lose his originality. His work is a fusion of the German tradition and the humanistic ideals of the Italian Renaissance.

Altar images and paintings based on biblical subjects

The work of an artist of the 15th-16th centuries was unthinkable without Christian subjects. And Albrecht Dürer is no exception. He painted a number of Madonnas (“Madonna with a Pear”, “Nursing Madonna”, “Madonna with a Carnation”, “Madonna and Child with St. Anne”, etc.); several altar images (“Feast of the Rosary”, “Adoration of the Holy Trinity”, “Dresden Altar”, “Seven Sorrows of the Virgin Mary”, “Jabach Altar”, “Paumgartner Altar”, etc.), paintings on biblical themes (“Four Apostles” , "Saint Jerome", "Adam and Eve", "The Adoration of the Magi", "Jesus Among the Scribes", etc.).

The works of the "Italian period" of the master are distinguished by the brightness and transparency of colors, smooth lines. Their mood is lyrical and bright. These are such works as "The Feast of the Rosary", the diptych "Adam and Eve", "The Adoration of the Magi", "The Paumgartner Altarpiece", "Madonna with a Chizhik", "Jesus among the Scribes".

The first in Germany, Dürer tries to create harmonious proportions based on the knowledge of antiquity. These attempts were embodied primarily in the diptych "Adam and Eve".

In more mature works, drama is already manifested, multi-figure compositions appear (“The Martyrdom of Ten Thousand Christians”, “The Adoration of the Holy Trinity”, “The Virgin and Child with St. Anna”).

Dürer has always been a God-fearing person. During the spread of the Reformation, he sympathized with the ideas of Martin Luther and Erasmus of Rotterdam, which to some extent affected his works.

Dürer presented his last large-scale work with the diptych "Four Apostles" to his native city. The monumental images of the apostles are shown as the ideal of Mind and Spirit.

self-portraits

In German painting, Dürer was a pioneer in the genre of self-portrait. In this art he surpassed his contemporaries. Self-portrait for Dürer was a way to hone his skills and leave a memory of himself to his descendants. Dürer is no longer a simple craftsman, as the artists of that time were considered. He is an intellectual, a master, a thinker, constantly striving for perfection. This is what he is trying to show in his images.

Albrecht Dürer painted his first self-portrait as a boy at the age of 13. He was very proud of this drawing, made with Italian silver pencil, which cannot be erased. This portrait was made before joining Michael Wolgemuth and shows the extent of little Albrecht's talent.

At the age of 22, the artist painted a self-portrait with a thistle in oil. It was the first independent self-portrait in European painting. Perhaps Albrecht painted the picture to give it to his future wife, Agnes. Dürer portrayed himself in smart clothes, his eyes turned to the viewer. On the canvas there is an inscription “My affairs are determined from above”, in the hands of a young man he holds a plant, the name of which in German sounds like “male fidelity”. On the other hand, the thistle was considered a symbol of the suffering of Christ. Perhaps this is how the artist wanted to show that he follows the will of his father.

After 5 years, Dürer creates his next self-portrait. During this time, the artist becomes a sought-after master, he is known far beyond the borders of his native country. He has his own workshop. He has already traveled to Italy. This is visible in the picture. Albrecht depicts himself against the backdrop of a landscape, in a fashionable Italian outfit, wearing expensive leather gloves. He is dressed like a nobleman. Confidently, with self-respect, he looks at the viewer.

Then, in 1500, Albrecht Dürer paints the next oil-filled self-portrait in fur clothes. Traditionally, models were depicted in a three-quarter view. In full face usually painted saints or royalty. Dürer was an innovator here too, depicting himself completely facing the viewer. Long hair, an expressive look, an almost blessing gesture of a graceful hand, sorting through the fur on rich clothes. Dürer consciously identifies himself with Jesus. At the same time, we know that the artist was a God-fearing Christian. The inscription on the canvas reads "I, Albrecht Dürer of Nuremberg, created myself with eternal colors at the age of 28." “He created himself with eternal colors” - these words indicate that the artist likens himself to the Creator, putting a person on the same level with God. Likeness to Christ is not pride, but the duty of the believer. Life must be lived with dignity, steadfastly enduring hardships and difficulties. This is the life credo of the master.

Often Dürer painted himself in his paintings. At that time, many artists used this technique. His images are known in the works: “The Feast of the Rosary”, “Adoration of the Trinity”, “Yabakh Altar”, “Torment of Ten Thousand Christians”, “Geller Altar”.

Albrecht Dürer left behind many self-portraits. Not all of them have come down to us, but enough of them have survived to form an opinion about the image of the master at different points in his life.

portraits

Albrecht Dürer was a famous portrait painter of his time. Kings and patricians ordered their images to him. With pleasure, he also painted contemporaries - friends, customers, just strangers.

The first portraits he created were those of his parents. They date back to 1490. Dürer spoke of his parents as hardworking and God-fearing people, which is how he painted them.

Portraits for the artist were not only an opportunity to earn money, but also a chance to express themselves in society. The models of Albrecht Dürer were Emperor Maximilian I, Frederick III of Saxony, Christian II of Denmark. In addition to the greats of this world, Dürer painted merchants, representatives of the clergy, humanist scientists, etc.

Most often, the artist depicts his models to the waist, in a three-quarter turn. The gaze is turned to the viewer or to the side. The background is chosen so as not to distract from the person's face, very often it is an inconspicuous landscape.

In portraits, Dürer combines the detailing of traditional German painting and the focus on the inner world of a person, perceived from the Italians.

Only during his trip to the Netherlands, the artist painted about 100 portraits, which indicates his interest in depicting a person.

His most famous portraits are: a young Venetian, Maximilian I, Erasmus of Rotterdam, the emperors Charlemagne and Sigismund.

Drawings and engravings

engravings

Dürer was best known as an unsurpassed engraver. The artist made engravings, both on copper and on wood. Dürer's woodcuts differed from his predecessors in craftsmanship and attention to detail. In 1498, the artist created a series of engravings "Apocalypse", which consisted of 15 sheets. This topic was very relevant by the end of the 15th century. Wars, epidemics, and famine created a premonition of the end of time among the people. "Apocalypse" brought Dürer unprecedented popularity, both at home and abroad.

This was followed by a series of engravings "Great Passion", "Life of Mary". The master places the biblical events in the contemporary space. People see familiar landscapes, dressed as they are, characters and compare everything that happens with themselves and their lives. Dürer strove to make art understandable for the common people, while raising the level of artistic skill to an unprecedented height.

His engravings were very popular, they even began to be forged, in connection with which Durer made his second trip to Venice.

In addition to series, the artist also works on individual drawings. In 1513-1514, three of the most famous engravings were published: "The Knight, Death and the Devil", "Saint Jerome in the Cell" and "Melancholia". These works are considered to be the crowning achievement of the artist as an engraver.

As an engraver, Dürer worked in different techniques and genres. After him, about 300 engravings remained. After the death of the master, his works were widely replicated, until the 18th century.

Drawing

Albrecht Dürer is also known as a talented draftsman. The graphic heritage of the master is impressive. With German scrupulousness, he kept all his drawings, thanks to which about 1000 of them have come down to us. The artist constantly trained, making sketches and sketches. Many of them have become masterpieces in their own right. So, for example, the drawings “Praying Hands”, “Portrait of a Mother”, “Rhinoceros”, etc. are widely known.

Dürer was the first among European artists to widely use watercolor technique. Watercolor has been known since the 15th century in Europe. These were dry paints that were ground into powder. It was mainly used for the design of books.

A series of landscapes made by Durer in watercolor is known: “View of the Arco”, “Castle in the Alps”, “Castle in Trento”, “View of Innsbruck”, “Courtyard of the old castle in Innsbruck”, etc.

Surprisingly detailed naturalistic drawings by Dürer: "Young hare", "Piece of turf", "Iris", "Violets", etc.

Scientific treatises and other written sources

Being a man of the Renaissance, Dürer left us not only a huge artistic heritage. With a scientific mindset, he was interested in mathematics, geometry, and architecture. We know that he was familiar with the works of Euclid, Vitruvius, Archimedes.

In 1515, the artist made engravings depicting the starry sky and a geographical map.

In 1507 Dürer began his work on the theory of painting. These were the first written treatises on the subject. We know the “Guide to measuring with a compass and ruler”, “Four books on proportions”. Unfortunately, the master was not able to complete the work on creating a complete guide for beginner artists.

Also, in 1527, he created the "Guide to the strengthening of cities, castles and gorges." The development of firearms, according to the artist, led to the need to build new fortifications.

In addition to scientific works, Dürer left diaries and letters, from which we know a lot about his life and contemporaries.

The Renaissance gave humanity several titans of the spirit - Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael. In Northern Europe, Albrecht Dürer can undoubtedly be attributed to such large-scale personalities. The legacy he left is amazing. In many areas of his activity, he became an innovator. He managed to combine in his work the humanism of the Italian Renaissance with the power and spiritual strength of German Gothic.

Albrecht Durer (1471-1528) - German engraver and painter, one of the greatest woodcut masters.

Childhood, family

One of the greatest artists of the Renaissance was born on May 21, 1471 in Nuremberg. His father was a jeweler who moved to Germany from Hungary. Albrecht Dürer Sr. translated the Hungarian surname Aitoshi (Hungarian ajto - “door”) into German as Türer, later it was transformed into Dürer. The future artist characterized his mother Barbara Holper as a pious woman who tried to punish her children often and diligently. 18 children were born in the Dürer Family, but only 8 survived. Albrecht was the third child.

Studies

In 1477 Albrecht began attending a Latin school. In addition, the father taught his son jewelry. Nevertheless, Albrecht decided to paint. As a teenager, he painted his self-portrait (1484) and Madonna with Two Angels (1485). When Albrecht was 15 years old, he began studying with the Nuremberg artist M. Wolgemut. In his workshop, Dürer studied painting, as well as engraving on copper and wood. According to art historians, during this period he worked on some engravings for the "Book of Chronicles" by H. Schedel. In particular, over the engraving known as the "Dance of Death".

According to tradition, studies were supposed to end with a journey, which Dürer went on in 1490. The student trip of Albrecht Dürer lasted about 4 years. During this time he traveled to Switzerland, Germany and the Netherlands. In 1492, Dürer stayed in Alsace, where he worked for some time in the workshop of Schongauer. Then he moved to Basel. Here he participated in the creation of engravings for the "Ship of Fools" by S. Brant. Dürer spent some time in Strasbourg, where he created his Self-Portrait with a Thistle (1493). The last creation was a gift for Dürer's bride.

Engraver

1495 - Dürer opens his own workshop in Nuremberg, where he creates most of his engravings. He tried many new techniques in the engraving technique and opened the sale of the first prints.

1498 - the book "Apocalypse" was published, for which Dürer made 15 woodcuts. The latter brought him wide popularity.

1500 - the book "The Passion of St. Brigid." For her, Dürer completed 30 engravings. During this period, he also joins the Nuremberg Humanists, led by Konrad Celtis.

1501 - Dürer engraves Rosvita's "Collection of Comedies and Poems" published by Celtis.

1504 - creates an engraving "Adam and Eve", which is considered one of the masterpieces of engraving on metal.

1507-1512 - performs a series of religious engravings "Small Passion", "Great Passion" and "Life of Mary".

1512 - Emperor Maximilian I became the main patron of the engraver. Dürer is involved in the work on the "Arc de Triomphe", a monumental woodcut, which was commissioned by the emperor.

1513 - takes part in the illustration of the Prayer Book of Emperor Maximilian. In 1515 the Emperor granted Albrecht Dürer a lifetime pension.

1513-1514 - creates 3 graphic sheets, which are known in the history of art as "Master engravings": "Saint Jerome in the Cell", "Knight, Death and the Devil" and "Melancholy". The last engraving became famous due to the "magic square" depicted in its background.

1515 - made 3 engravings depicting maps of the northern and southern hemispheres of the starry sky and the eastern hemisphere of the Earth.

1515-1518 - begins to work in a new technique - etching. Dürer's etchings are made on iron boards.

Dürer put a lot of effort into achieving mastery in engraving, considering this the right path to material well-being and recognition. He was the first German artist to simultaneously work in both types of engraving - on honey and on wood. Dürer's engravings were realized by his mother and wife. His engravings could often be found at the fairs of Nuremberg, Augsburg and Frankfurt am Main. In addition to engravings, at the beginning of the 16th century, Dürer worked on bookplates. At the moment, 20 bookplates created by him are known. Albrecht Dürer made the first bookplate for his friend Willibald Pirckheimer.

Painter

1494-1497 - Created a portrait of the Saxon elector Frederick III.

1498 - painted his self-portrait.

1499 - created a portrait of the merchant O. Krel and his father.

1500 - completed the polyptych "Seven Sorrows" for the Elector of Saxony Frederick III

1504 - commissioned by the mentioned Saxon elector, he painted the painting "The Adoration of the Magi".

1505 - while in Venice, by order of German merchants, he completed the painting "The Feast of Rose Wreaths". Dürer believed that it was this work that made many recognize him not only as an engraver, but as a painter.

1506 - Dürer returns to his native Nuremberg.

1509 - elected a member of the Great Council of Nuremberg.

1511 - The altar "Adoration of the Holy Trinity" is painted to the order of the merchant Matthias Landauer.

1518 - Dürer represents Nuremberg at the Reichstag in Augsburg. Here he paints portraits of Jacob Fugger, Maximilian I and other famous participants in the congress.

1526 - Dürer creates the diptych "Four Apostles".

Personal life

In 1494 Dürer married at the behest of his father. Agnese Frey came from an old Nuremberg family. Until the day of the wedding, the young did not see each other. Although Dürer sent his self-portrait to the bride. The artist was not particularly enthusiastic about marriage, although he did not resist the will of his father. After all, according to the then rules, only a married artist was considered a master. Immediately after the wedding, Dürer went to Italy to improve his skills. The couple had no children. According to Dürer, a real artist must protect himself from women: “not to live with them, not to see them, and not even touch them.”

Albrecht Dürer died on April 6, 1528 from liver disease. He was buried at the Nuremberg cemetery "Johanesfriedhof" near the grave of his friend W. Pirckheimer.

German painter, draftsman, engraver, art theorist. The founder of the art of the German Renaissance.

German painter and graphic artist, one of the greatest masters of the Western European Renaissance. Recognized as the largest European master of woodcuts, who raised it to the level of real art. The first art theorist among Northern European artists, the author of a practical guide to fine and decorative arts in German, who advocated the need for the versatile development of artists. Founder of comparative anthropometry. In addition to the above, he left a noticeable mark in the military engineering art. The first European artist to write an autobiography.

Dürer was born on May 21, 1471 in Nuremberg, in the family of the jeweler Albrecht Dürer (de), who came to this German city from Hungary in the middle of the 15th century, and Barbara Holper. The Dürers had eighteen children, of whom eight survived. The future artist was the third child and the second son. His father, Albrecht Dürer Sr., a goldsmith, literally translated his Hungarian surname Aytoshi (Hungarian Ajtósi, from the name of the village Aytosh, from the word ajtó - “door”), literally translated into German as Türer; subsequently it was transformed under the influence of the Frankish pronunciation and began to be written Dürer. Albrecht Dürer Jr. remembered his mother as a pious woman who punished her children "zealously" and often. Possibly weakened by her frequent pregnancies, she was sick a lot. Dürer's godfather was the famous German publisher Anton Koberger.

From 1477 Albrecht attended a Latin school. At first, the father attracted his son to work in a jewelry workshop. However, Albrecht wished to paint. During these years, he created a self-portrait (1484, Albertina, Vienna) and the Madonna with Two Angels (1485, Engraving Cabinet, Berlin). The elder Dürer, despite regretting the time spent on teaching his son, yielded to his requests, and at the age of 15 Albrecht was sent to the workshop of the leading Nuremberg artist of that time, Michael Wolgemuth. Dürer himself spoke about this in the Family Chronicle, which he created at the end of his life.

Wolgemut Dürer mastered not only painting, but also engraving on wood and copper. Wolgemuth, together with his stepson Wilhelm Pleidenwurff, made engravings for Hartmann Schedel's Book of Chronicles. In the work on the most illustrated book of the 15th century, which experts consider the Book of Chronicles, Wolgemut was helped by his students. One of the engravings for this edition, "Dance of Death", is attributed to Albrecht Dürer.

According to tradition, studies in 1490 ended with a journey (German: Wanderjahre), during which the apprentice learned skills from masters from other areas. Dürer's student journey continued until 1494. His exact itinerary is unknown, he traveled to a number of cities in Germany, Switzerland and the Netherlands, continuing to improve in the fine arts and processing of materials. In 1492 Dürer stayed in Alsace. He did not have time, as he wished, to see Martin Schongauer, who lived in Colmar, whose work greatly influenced the young artist, since he died on February 2, 1491. Dürer was received with honor by the brothers of the deceased, and Albrecht had the opportunity to work for some time in the workshop of Schongauer. Dürer later moved to Basel.

Soon the young artist returns to Nuremberg. Now he already has a reputation as a famous artist, so he not only receives orders, but also opens his own school. Dürer performs a number of engravings on copper - "Love for Sale" (1495-1496), "St. a family with a grasshopper” (circa 1494–1496), “Three Peasants” (circa 1497), “The Prodigal Son” (1498), as well as woodcuts - “Hercules”, “Men's Bath”.

“These engravings reveal a brilliant galaxy of Dürer’s graphic works… The artist is now fluent in using the chisel, applying a sharp, angular and nervous stroke, with the help of which winding, tense contours are created, the form is molded plastically, light and shadows are transmitted, space is built.

With special intensity and perseverance, Dürer worked in engraving (about 350 drawings for woodcuts and about 100 engravings with a cutter on copper), creating many masterpieces of world graphics. In the series of woodcuts “Apocalypse” (1498), he turned to the theme of the end of the world, which corresponded to the public mood of the turning point of the era. Here Dürer embodied in breathtaking fantastic images his expectation of formidable retribution, world-historical changes. In the subsequent cycles “Great Passions” (circa 1497-1511), “The Life of Mary” (circa 1502-11) and “Small Passions” (1509-11), he perfected the rhythmic structure of the lines, sometimes tender and fragile, sometimes full of power. and internal dynamics.

In the engravings on copper, Durer's attraction to the clarity of line and volume, to the richness of plastic forms and light and shade transitions was manifested. Having reached the amazing subtlety of the graphic language already in the engravings created around 1500-03, Dürer came to his highest achievements in three so-called "master" engravings of 1513-14: "The Horseman, Death and the Devil" (1513) - an image of unshakable adherence to one's duty, resistance to any temptations; in "Melancholia" (1514) the inner conflicts and restlessness of the creative spirit of man are embodied; “St. Jerome ”(1514) was a humanistic glorification of the researcher’s inquisitive thought, and in the image of a sunlit room there is a captivating poetry of peaceful comfort.

In 1498, the artist began work on illustrations for the Holy Scriptures. Dürer released his best book - the illustrated Apocalypse. A series of engravings of eighteen sheets is still considered an unsurpassed masterpiece of printing art.

Dürer had to turn to images that embodied life in the spirit of a strange metaphorical religious vision, which seemed to challenge the artist's pencil. The medieval master expressed them through great symbols in a timeless environment. Durer also brought this cosmic and timeless into his work. His composition ascended, like a steep wall, into the space of the universe. Heaven and earth merged into one great whole. However, all the experience of studying reality, acquired by him during this time, could not be discarded. Dürer's great achievement was that, by the power of his imagination and realistic skill, he embodied these gigantic visions with their spells and ecstasy into images that had life-like persuasiveness.

At the same time, Dürer began work on the cycle of engravings "Great Passions", and in 1502 - on the cycle "Life of Mary", completing them only in 1511. All three cycles belong to the greatest achievements of religious art in the field of woodcuts.

At the beginning of the century, Dürer completed several monumental commissioned works: the Paumgartner altarpiece, Lamentation of Christ,

In 1505, Dürer again interrupted work in his workshop and went to Venice. His trip was due to the fact that fake engravings with Dürer's monogram appeared in Italian cities. In addition, the artist hoped that in Venice he would receive new orders.

Indeed, upon arriving in Venice, Dürer receives a lucrative offer. The leaders of the German colony in this city decided to entrust the master with a responsible order - the production of altar paintings for the local church. Probably, the Italian artist D. Bellini helped him to receive such a responsible order. Dürer had friendly relations with him since the time of his previous visit.

He successfully works in Venice, travels to other cities, meets with the great Raphael. Durer gave Raphael his self-portrait, executed in gouache on a very thin canvas.

In 1507 Dürer returned to Nuremberg and started working again. He wanted to work at least for a while, not to order, but for the soul. And he returned to his old plan - the images of Adam and Eve. Once he already embodied them in an engraving.

In 1509, Dürer was elected a named member of the Great Council of Nuremberg, it is possible that in this capacity he took part in the artistic projects of the city. In the same year, he bought a house in Zisselgasse (now the Dürer House Museum).

In 1511, Dürer, commissioned by the Nuremberg merchant Matthias Landauer, painted the altar "Adoration of the Holy Trinity" ("Landauer Altarpiece", Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna). The iconographic program of the altar, which consisted of a picture and a wooden carved frame made by an unknown Nuremberg master, in the upper part of which the scene of the Last Judgment was carved, was developed by Dürer. It was based on Augustine's treatise "On the City of God". Despite his success and established fame, the artist nevertheless realizes that he is not able to change the attitude of his customers, who, according to a tradition rooted in Germany, considered the painter to be just a craftsman.

In 1513-1514, the master creates works that mark the pinnacle of his work. First of all, these are three engravings on copper: “The Horseman, Death and the Devil” (1513), “St. Jerome" (1514) and "Melancholy" (1514).

Dürer was the only artist to whom Maximilian assigned a lifetime annuity of 100 florins. However, in 1519, Maximilian dies, and Dürer loses his rent. In 1520, the artist and his wife went to the Netherlands in order to obtain permission to continue paying rent from the new emperor Charles V, who was awaiting his coronation in Aachen. Throughout the journey, the artist received an enthusiastic reception. Antwerp artists invited their famous colleague to a gala dinner.

In 1523–1528, Dürer published the theoretical treatises A Guide to Measuring with a Compass and a Ruler and Four Books on Human Proportions, which absorbed the conclusions he came to as a result of studying proportions and became the basis of a guide to teaching painting.

As conceived by the author, they were supposed to become a kind of introduction to the artist's encyclopedia he had conceived. However, Dürer did not manage to realize this grandiose plan. April 6, 1528 the artist died after a severe liver disease.

Dürer House Museum

The place where the artist lived and worked from 1509 until his death in 1528. Durer lived in a house with his wife, mother and his students and apprentices. Today the house is a museum and belongs, together with the Nuremberg Graphic Collection, to the union of the city's museums.

The building has two levels: the lower floors are built of sandstone, and the top three have a wooden frame. The roof is semi-hipped, with dormer windows facing the street. The first museum of the artist was created in this old house in 1826: initially the exposition was limited to one room. And only in 1871, in honor of the 400th anniversary of the birth of Albrecht Dürer, the entire house was transferred to the management of the museum.

The building was damaged during the Second World War, but became one of the first restored museum sites, opened to visitors in 1949. The museum is located in the central part of the city, next to the Nuremberg Castle and the park area.

Works

Melancholia

1514

Copper engraving by the German artist Albrecht Dürer, completed in 1514. "Melancholy" is one of the most mysterious works of Dürer, and stands out for the complexity and non-obviousness of the idea, the brightness of symbols and allegories.

This is one of the most complex works in world art. Over the five centuries of its existence, “Melancholia” has acquired volumes of comments and interpretations, but this, as Marcel Brion, a modern specialist in Dürer’s work, notes, “does not make it more understandable, easier to interpret, and it really requires much more explanations and comments, than any other painting, with the possible exception of Mona Lisa."

And ladies and Eva

Painting by German artist Albrecht Dürer. The picture consists of two large-format boards, painted in oil. The diptych was painted in 1507. Both panels are 209 cm high, and one 81 cm wide, the other 80 cm wide.

The artist painted a picture specifically for the altar, but, unfortunately, it was never finished. It is worth saying that this work and its plot were created in the spirit of ancient times. The artist highlighted the inspiration during his travels in Italy. The people depicted on the canvas are completely naked, everything is written down to the smallest detail, even their height, they are depicted in their true size. This is very important because, according to the Bible, Adam and Eve are the progenitors of mankind, the first people who descended from heaven to earth and gave rise to the human race. The Bible says that Adam and Eve had many differences between themselves, which is why the author depicted them separately. But looking more closely, you can see that the picture is a single whole - Adam holds the branch, and Eve the fruit that used to hang on it.

A second portrait of Dürer

The last of Dürer's three large pictorial self-portraits and the most famous of them. It is considered the most personal, complex and iconic of all the artist's self-portraits.

“Self-portrait” (“Self-portrait at the age of twenty-eight”, “Self-portrait in clothes trimmed with fur”; German Selbstbildnis im Pelzrock) by Albrecht Dürer, written in the beginning of 1500, is the last of Dürer’s three large pictorial self-portraits and the most famous of them . It is considered the most personal, complex and iconic of all the artist's self-portraits.
The self-portrait attracts attention with its similarity with the images of Christ accepted in art at that time - the symmetry of the composition, the colors of dark tones, the full face turn and the hand raised to the middle of the chest, as if in a gesture of blessing. The inscriptions on a black background on both sides of Dürer seem to float in space, emphasizing the symbolism of the portrait.

The light tones of previous self-portraits were replaced by a muted range. In this work, Dürer seems to have approached what the art historian Marcel Brion calls "classicism according to Ingres. A face with the inflexibility and impersonal dignity of a mask that hides the restlessness of upheavals, pain and passion inside.

The apparent symmetry of the picture is somewhat broken: the head is located slightly to the right of the center, strands of hair fall to one side, the gaze is directed to the left.
At the end of the 15th and the beginning of the 16th centuries, a straight frontal view was an exception for a secular portrait (one of the few examples of the use of this angle is a series of portraits of King Henry VIII and his wives, made by Hans Holbein, who may have been given special instructions to use this particular pose ). In Italy, profile pictures have been replaced by three-quarter pictures. In northern Europe, the three-quarter turn appears in portraits from about 1420, and was used by Dürer in his earlier self-portraits. Artists of the late Middle Ages and early Renaissance developed this more difficult look and prided themselves on their ability to depict the three-quarter model. For the viewer of the beginning of the 16th century, the full-face view was associated not with a secular portrait, but with a religious and, above all, with the image of Christ.

Four witches

One of the most mysterious works of Dürer. Its plot has been interpreted differently by different scholars. The composition is based on the ancient group "Three Graces", but the artist added a fourth figure. The door on the left, from which tongues of flame erupt and the head of the devil is visible, personifies the gates of hell, the door on the right, in front of which lies a bone, is the gate of death. Four women are depicted: one of them, in the background, possibly Eris, the goddess of discord; in three figures in the foreground they see Venus, Minerva and Juno. The latter was the patroness of married women, therefore she is depicted wearing a cap. Some researchers associate the engraving with the theme of the "Judgment of Paris" and consider it as a warning against voluptuousness, leading to hellish torment.

Images of peasants, townspeople, burghers, knights, etc. appeared in his engravings. He performs many portraits in painting, engraving and drawing, constantly sketches folk types. A whole series of images of peasants remained from him, most of which refer specifically to these years (engravings on copper - "Men's Bath", "Dancing Peasants", "Four Witches", "Piper", "On the Market"). At the same time, he was engaged in decorative art and book graphics, depicting a grandiose triumphal arch in engraving commissioned by Emperor Maximilian and decorating his prayer book with drawings on the margins.

Adoration of the Magi

Painting by Albrecht Dürer, commissioned by Elector Frederick III of Saxony in 1504 for the altar of the castle church in Wittenberg. Considered one of Dürer's finest and most significant works between 1494/5 and 1505.

This painting is reminiscent of an unfinished canvas by Leonardo da Vinci on a similar subject, also kept in the Uffizi. But the Venetians had a direct influence on Dürer - Andrea Mantegna with his passion for the abundance of stone in paintings and Giovanni Bellini with his light and clear painting. However, Dürer's characters are written with the degree of psychologism that was especially characteristic of him.

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