Who is Albrecht Durer? Creation

A. Durer (1471-1528) - great German artist, and in last years life and art theorist. His biography and work are closely connected with the Renaissance. The works of Albrecht Durer still attract many art connoisseurs today. Want to know more about him? The life and work of Albrecht Durer are presented in this article.

short biography

His father was a native of Hungary, a silversmith. Albrecht studied first with his father and then with Michael Wolgemut, a painter and engraver from Nuremberg. 1490-1494 - “years of wanderings”, required in order to receive the title of master. Albrecht spent this time in the cities of the Upper Rhine (Strasbourg, Colmar, Basel). Here he entered the circle of book printers and humanists. It is known that Dürer wanted to improve his skills in metal engraving with M. Schogauer in Colmar, but did not find him alive. Then Albrecht began to study the works of this master, communicating with his sons, who were also artists.

In 1494 Albrecht Dürer returned to Nuremberg. His biography and work were marked by important events at this time. It was then that he married Agnes Frey and opened his own workshop. After some time, Albrecht decided to make a new journey, this time choosing Northern Italy. He visited Padua and Venice in 1494-95. Dürer also traveled to Venice in 1505 and stayed there until 1507. Albrecht's acquaintance with I dates back to 1512. Apparently, at the same time, Dürer began working for him, until the death of Maximilian, which occurred in 1519. It is known that Albrecht also visited the Netherlands. In the period from 1520 to 1521, he visited cities such as Brussels, Antwerp, Ghent, Bruges, Malines and others.

Dürer's work

And whose work coincided with the heyday of the German Renaissance, he could not remain aloof from the trends of his time. It was a difficult, largely disharmonious period. His character left its mark on all types of art. The revival in Albrecht's work accumulates the originality and richness of German artistic traditions. They manifest themselves in the appearance of Durer's characters, who are far from beautiful from the point of view of the classical ideal. In addition, the master prefers everything spicy, devotes great attention individual details. At the same time, contact with the art of Italy is of great importance for Albrecht. The work of Albrecht Durer is marked by the fact that he tried to comprehend the secret of its perfection and harmony. Dürer is the only representative who, in terms of the versatility and focus of interests, the desire to comprehend the laws of art, to create perfect proportions of the human figure, can be placed on a par with the great masters of the Italian Renaissance.

Drawings

Albrecht Durer's work is diverse. He was gifted as a draftsman, engraver and painter. At the same time, engraving and drawing sometimes occupy him even leading place. The legacy of Dürer the draftsman includes more than 900 sheets. In terms of diversity and vastness, it can only be compared with the creations of Leonardo da Vinci. Apparently, drawing was part of the master’s daily life. Dürer mastered everything perfectly graphic techniques of that time - from charcoal, watercolor, Italian pencil to reed pen and silver pin. As for Italian masters, drawing became for Dürer the most important stage in creating a composition. This stage included studies, sketches of heads, legs, arms, and draperies.

For Dürer, drawing was a tool with which he studied characteristic types- Nuremberg fashionistas, elegant gentlemen, peasants. The famous works of Albrecht Durer are the master’s watercolors “Hare” (pictured above) and “Piece of Turf”. They are executed with a cool detachment and such attention that they could become illustrations for scientific codes.

Landscape series

First significant work The master is a series of landscapes from 1494-95. These works of Albrecht Durer were made in watercolor and gouache during his trip to Italy. They represent carefully balanced, thoughtful compositions, with spatial plans smoothly alternating with each other. These works by Albrecht Durer are the first in history European art"pure" landscapes.

"Christmas", "Adoration of the Magi", "Adam and Eve"

A clear, even mood, the author’s desire for a harmonious balance of rhythms and forms - this is characteristics Dürer's paintings from the end of the 15th century to the beginning of the second decade of the 16th century. This is the altarpiece “Nativity”, made around 1498, and the work “Adoration of the Magi” dating back to 1504, in which Dürer unites a group of three wise men and the Madonna with smooth silhouettes, a calm circular rhythm, as well as an arch motif that is repeated several times in the architectural decoration. In the 1500s, one of the main themes of Albrecht's work became the desire to find perfect proportions human body. He searches for their secrets by drawing naked women and male figures. Let us note that it was Albrecht who was the first in Germany to begin studying the nude. These searches were summarized in the 1504 engraving "Adam and Eve", as well as in the large pictorial diptych of the same name, completed around 1507.

"Adoration of the Holy Trinity" and "Feast of the Rosary"

Most complex work, he completed ordered harmoniously pictorial compositions from many figures already in the years creative maturity Albrecht Durer. Famous works it includes the “Feast of the Rosary” created in 1506, and the “Adoration of the Holy Trinity” in 1511. The "Feast of the Rosary" is one of the most big works Durer (161.5 x 192 cm). In addition, this is one of the most major paintings in terms of intonation. The work is close to the art of Italian masters not only in its motifs, but also in its vitality, full-sounding colors, full-blooded images (mainly portraits), balance of composition, and breadth of writing. In the painting entitled “Adoration of the Holy Trinity,” which is a small altar work, rhythmic semicircles that echo the arched end of the altar unite angels soaring in heaven, the Church Fathers and a host of saints. This painting is reminiscent of Raphael's "Disputation".

Early portraits

It is difficult to imagine the work of Albrecht Durer without portraits. His paintings in this genre are numerous and very interesting. Albrecht is already in early work, executed around 1499 (portrait of Oswald Krel) appears to be an established master. He conveys perfectly internal energy models, originality of character. The uniqueness of Albrecht Durer lies in the fact that self-portrait occupies a leading place in early period his portrait art. As early as 1484, he created the silver pin design presented at the beginning of the article. Here Albrecht is depicted as a 13-year-old child. Already at that time, Dürer’s hand was guided by a desire for self-knowledge, which received further development in his first three self-portraits. It's about about the works of 1493, 1498 and 1500. In the last work (its photo is presented above) Albrecht is depicted strictly from the front. Framed with a small beard and long hair his regular face reminds us of images of Christ Pantocrator.

Engravings

The work of Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528) is interesting because he made engravings equally successfully on copper and on wood. Albrecht turned engraving, following Schongauer, into one of the main forms of art. In Dürer's works, the restless, restless spirit of his creative nature was expressed, as well as the dramatic moral conflicts that worried him. The first large-scale graphic series, consisting of 15 engravings on the themes of the Apocalypse, became a sharp contrast to the clear and calm early paintings of the master. Albrecht created these works, executed on wood, in 1498. Dürer in his engravings, much more than in his paintings, relies on German traditions. They manifest themselves in the tension of angular, sudden movements, excessive expression of images, the rhythm of swirling, rapid lines and breaking folds. The image of Fortune from the Nemesis engraving, dating back to the early 1500s, has a formidable character. This engraving is considered one of best works Durer.

"Life of Mary", "Great Passions" and "Little Passions"

In the graphic cycle "The Life of Mary", created around 1502-05, the author's interest in genre details, as well as an abundance of details, are noticeable - features characteristic of the German artistic tradition. This graphic cycle is the clearest and calmest in mood. The other two, dedicated to the passion of Christ, are distinguished by dramatic expression. These are the “Great Passions” made on wood (circa 1498-1510), as well as two series of engravings on copper “Little Passions” (years of creation - 1507-13 and 1509-11). These works by Dürer were most famous among his contemporaries.

Triptych 1513-1514.

The 1513 engraving "Knight, Death and the Devil", as well as two works from 1514 ("Jerome in the Cell" and "Melancholy") occupy an important place in Albrecht's legacy. They form a kind of triptych. These works were executed by the master with virtuoso subtlety. They are distinguished by rare figurative concentration and laconicism. Apparently, Dürer did not intend to create them as a single cycle. Nevertheless, these works are united by a moral and philosophical subtext, which is very complex (many works are devoted to its interpretation today). Apparently, the treatise “Manual of a Christian Warrior” by E. Rotterdam inspired the author with the image of a middle-aged, stern warrior who moves towards an unknown goal, despite the Devil following on his heels, as well as the threats of Death. The warrior is presented against the background of a rocky wild landscape. The work of Albrecht Durer is not always easy to perceive. Summary The above-mentioned treatise is important to know in order to understand the image of a warrior.

Saint Jerome (pictured above), completely absorbed in scientific pursuits, is the personification of the contemplative life and spiritual self-absorption. The majestic winged Melancholy, immersed in its gloomy reflection, is presented against the background of a chaotic accumulation of symbols of fast-flowing time and sciences, tools of the craft.

She is usually interpreted as the personification of a person’s creative, restless spirit. Let us note that the humanists of the Renaissance found in people with a melancholic temperament a “divine obsession” of genius, the embodiment creativity. Therefore, we can say that the work of Albrecht Durer is within the framework of the general trend. Let us briefly describe his later works.

Later works

After 1514, Dürer worked at the court of Maximilian I (above is his portrait by Albrecht). At this time, Albrecht Dürer carried out many official orders. The works he created required great skill, but the most labor-intensive of them was a colored lithograph made on 192 boards. This work is called "The Arch of Maximilian I". Other than Durer, she worked on its creation. large group artists. After a trip to the Netherlands, made in 1520-21, Albrecht began a new creative upsurge. At this time, many quick sketches appeared. In addition, a number of beautiful works were replenished by Albrecht Dürer. Their list is as follows: made in 1520 with charcoal, as well as works of 1521 “Luke of Leiden” (made with a silver pencil), “Agnes Durer”, which was created using a metal pencil, etc.

Portraits from the 1520s

In the 1520s, portraiture became the main genre in Dürer's work. At this time, Albrecht Durer created copper engraving images of the most prominent humanists of his time. The main works are as follows: in 1526 - a portrait of Philip Melanchthon, in 1524 - Willibald Pirkheim, in 1526 - Erasmus of Rotterdam. In painting in 1521 "Portrait" appears young man", in 1524 - " Portrait of a man", in 1526 - "Hieronymus Holzschuer" and other works. These small works They are distinguished by their impeccable composition, classic completeness, and precise silhouettes. They are effectively complicated by the outlines of huge velvet berets or wide-brimmed hats. Composition center of these works - a close-up face, created by subtle transitions of shadows and light. In barely noticeable facial expressions, in a wide gaze open eyes, in the outlines of lips slightly curved in a smile or half-opened, in the energetic pattern of cheekbones and the movement of frowning eyebrows, one can see traces of an intense spiritual life. The strength of spirit discovered by Albrecht in his contemporaries takes on a large scale in the diptych “The Four Apostles” (pictured below), the last painting work masters (1525). It was written by Dürer for the Nuremberg town hall. Huge figures of the Evangelist Paul, Peter and John are presented, which, according to the testimony of the master’s contemporaries, personify 4 temperaments.

Theoretical works, the meaning of creativity

In the last years of his life, Albrecht published theoretical works: a guide to measuring with a ruler and compass (in 1525), for strengthening fortresses, castles and cities (1527), and in 1528 the work “Four Books on Human Proportions” appeared. Albrecht Dürer, whose work and fate we have examined, died in Nuremberg on April 6, 1528.

Dürer greatly influenced the development of everything German art first half of the 16th century His engravings also enjoyed enormous success in Italy - even counterfeits were produced. Many Italian artists were influenced by his works, including Pordenone and Pontormo.

Albrecht Dürer (German: Albrecht Dürer, May 21, 1471, Nuremberg - April 6, 1528, Nuremberg) - German painter and graphic artist, one of greatest masters Western European Renaissance. Recognized as the largest European master of woodblock printing, who raised it to the level of real art. The first art theorist among Northern European artists, author practical guide in fine and decorative arts at German, who promoted the need for the diversified development of artists. Founder of comparative anthropometry. The first European artist to write an autobiography.

Biography of Albrecht Durer

The future artist was born on May 21, 1471 in Nuremberg, in the family of jeweler Albrecht Dürer, who arrived in this German city from Hungary in the mid-15th century, and Barbara Holper. The Dürers had eighteen children, some, as Dürer the Younger himself wrote, died “in their youth, others when they grew up.” In 1524, only three of the Dürer children were alive - Albrecht, Hans and Endres.

The future artist was the third child and second son in the family. His father, Albrecht Durer the Elder, his Hungarian surname Aitoshi (Hung. Ajtósi, from the name of the village of Aitosh, from the word ajtó - “door.”) literally translated into German as Türer; subsequently it was transformed under the influence of Frankish pronunciation and began to be written Dürer. Albrecht Dürer the Younger remembered his mother as a pious woman who lived a difficult life. Perhaps weakened by frequent pregnancies, she was sick a lot. The famous German publisher Anton Koberger became Dürer's godfather.

For some time, the Durers rented half of the house (next to the city central market) from the lawyer and diplomat Johann Pirkheimer. Hence the close acquaintance of two families belonging to different urban classes: the patricians Pirkheimers and the artisans Durers. Dürer the Younger was friends with Johann's son, Willibald, one of the most enlightened people in Germany, all his life. Thanks to him, the artist later entered the circle of humanists in Nuremberg, whose leader was Pirkheimer, and became his own man there.

From 1477 Albrecht attended the Latin school. At first, the father involved his son in working in a jewelry workshop. However, Albrecht wanted to paint. The elder Dürer, despite regretting the time spent training his son, gave in to his requests, and at the age of 15, Albrecht was sent to the workshop of the leading Nuremberg artist of the time, Michael Wolgemut. Dürer himself spoke about this in his “Family Chronicle,” which he created at the end of his life, one of the first autobiographies in history. Western European art.

From Wolgemut, Dürer mastered not only painting, but also wood engraving. Wolgemut, together with his stepson Wilhelm Pleydenwurf, 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.

Altdorfer's work

Painting

Having dreamed of painting since childhood, Albrecht insisted that his father send him to study as an artist. After his first trip to Italy, he had not yet fully grasped the achievements of Italian masters, but in his works one can already feel an artist who thinks outside the box and is always ready to search. Dürer probably received the title of master (and with it the right to open his own workshop) by completing murals in the “Greek style” in the house of Nuremberg citizen Sebald Schreyer. Frederick the Wise drew attention to the young artist, who instructed him, among other things, to paint his portrait. Following the Elector of Saxony, the Nuremberg patricians also wanted to have their own images - at the turn of the century, Dürer worked a lot in the portrait genre. Here Dürer continued the tradition that had developed in painting Northern Europe: The model is presented in a three-quarter spread against a landscape background, all details are depicted very carefully and realistically.

After the publication of “Apocalypse,” Dürer became famous in Europe as a master of engraving, and only during his second stay in Italy received recognition abroad as a painter. In 1505 Jacob Wimpfeling in his " German history"wrote that Dürer's paintings are valued in Italy "...as highly as the paintings of Parrhasius and Apelles." The works completed after his trip to Venice demonstrate Dürer’s success in solving problems of depicting the human body, including the nude, complex angles, and characters in motion. His characteristic disappears early works gothic angularity. The artist relied on the execution of ambitious painting projects, accepting orders for multi-figure altarpieces. The works of 1507-1511 are distinguished by a balanced composition, strict symmetry, “some rationality,” and a dry manner of depiction. Unlike his Venetian works, Dürer did not strive to convey the effects of a light-air environment; he worked with local colors, perhaps yielding to the conservative tastes of his clients. Accepted into service by Emperor Maximilian, he gained some financial independence and, leaving painting for a while, turned to scientific research and engraving works.

Self-portraits

The name of Dürer is associated with the formation of the Northern European self-portrait as independent genre. One of the best portrait painters of his time, he highly valued painting because it made it possible to preserve the image of a particular person for future generations. Biographers note that, having an attractive appearance, Dürer especially loved to portray himself in his youth and reproduced his appearance not without a “vain desire to please the viewer.” For Dürer, a picturesque self-portrait is a means of emphasizing his status and a milestone marking a certain stage of his life. Here he appears as a man of intellectual and spiritual development above the level that was determined by his class position, which was uncharacteristic for self-portraits of artists of that era. In addition, he once again asserted the high importance of fine art (unfairly, as he believed, excluded from the “seven liberal arts”) at a time when in Germany it was still considered a craft.

Drawings

About a thousand (Julia Bartrum says about 970) of Dürer’s drawings have survived: landscapes, portraits, sketches of people, animals and plants. Evidence of how carefully the artist treated his drawing is the fact that even his student works have been preserved. Dürer's graphic heritage, one of the largest in the history of European art, is on a par with the graphics of da Vinci and Rembrandt in terms of volume and significance. Free from the arbitrariness of the customer and his desire for the absolute, which brought a share of coldness into his paintings, the artist most fully revealed himself as a creator precisely in drawing.

Dürer tirelessly practiced arrangement, generalization of particulars, and construction of space. His animalistic and botanical drawings are distinguished by high craftsmanship execution, observation, fidelity to the transfer of natural forms, characteristic of a naturalist scientist. Most of them are carefully worked out and represent complete works, however, according to the custom of artists of that time, they served as auxiliary material: Dürer used all his studies in engravings and paintings, repeatedly repeating the motifs of graphic works in large works. At the same time, G. Wölfflin noted that Dürer transferred almost nothing of the truly innovative discoveries he made in landscape watercolors to his paintings.

Dürer's graphics completed various materials, often he used them in combination. He became one of the first German artists to work with a white brush on colored paper, popularizing this Italian tradition.

Bibliography

• Bartrum D. Durer / Trans. from English - M.: Niola-Press, 2010. - 96 p. - (From the collection British Museum). - 3000 copies. - ISBN 978-5-366-00421-3.
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• Berger J. Durer. - M.: Art-Rodnik, 2008. - 96 p. - 3000 copies. - ISBN 978-5-88896-097-4.
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• Brion M. Durer. - M.: Young Guard, 2006. - (Life of wonderful people).
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• Rosenfeld; Academy of Sciences of the USSR. - M.: Nauka, 1987. - 240, p. - (Scientific and biographical literature). - 34,000 copies. (in translation)
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Albrecht Durer(German Albrecht Dürer, May 21, 1471, Nuremberg - April 6, 1528, Nuremberg) - the largest German painter and engraver with lifetime world fame, an outstanding geometer and fortification engineer, the founder of European watercolors, mechanic, architect and art theorist. The artist connected the discoveries Italian Renaissance With artistic traditions northern Europe.

Features of the work of the artist Albrecht Durer: his engravings retain the precision and subtlety of detail inherent in German culture, but amaze with unprecedented ingenuity compositional solutions. The master was especially interested in the problems of harmony and beauty of the human body, the laws of proportions, and the thorough depiction of human hands. Dürer's paintings are distinguished by bright, sonorous, enamel colors. The master's watercolors are characterized by an amazing truthfulness in the reproduction of natural phenomena.

Famous paintings and engravings of Albrecht Durer:“Melancholy”, “Grass” (“A large piece of turf”), “Adam and Eve”, “Hare”, “Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse”, “Feast of the Rosary”.

For Germany, Dürer, like Goethe, is “our everything.” They prefer to call the Renaissance era in Germany “Durer’s era,” and since 1815 they have decided to celebrate “Durer’s Day” annually. The character and biography of Albrecht Durer is a paradoxical, at first glance, combination of burgher practicality with philosophical detachment, creative genius with everyday scrupulousness. Apparently, this combination is what makes an outstanding artist national symbol and a cultural hero.

“I am the door,” or the origins of Albrecht Durer

So, the greatest German artist of all time, Albrecht Durer, was Hungarian? And what is it, the greatest Russian poet was an Ethiopian, an “Arap”, “and how he wrote, how he wrote”! A healthy society understands that inoculations of foreign blood are beneficial to culture. But when a society becomes sick with Nazism, the very thought of it becomes unbearable. By a strange coincidence, Nazism in Germany took shape exactly where the painter was born 500 years ago - in Nuremberg. In order to prove that the pillar of the German nation, Albrecht Dürer, was not a Hungarian, but a purebred Aryan, the Nazis even exhumed the remains of his father in order to establish that the parameters of the skull corresponded to the Aryan standard.

And there is still no unity on the question of the origin of the artist. Some document it: definitely Hungarian. Others continue to claim - no, from German colonists who migrated to Hungary during the immemorial times of the Mongol invasions.

Well, what about his last name? After all, the guttural “Dürer” sounds so German. That’s right, but this surname is the result of the creativity of Dürer’s father, a linguistic joke and at the same time creative pseudonym. It comes from the name of their Hungarian homeland, the village of Eitas or Aitas. Ajtos means "door" in Hungarian. And in German “door” is die Tür. The surname, altered in the German way, first sounded like Türer, later, under the influence of local pronunciation, turning into Dürer.

And on the Durers family coat of arms they always depicted wide open doors. So an extremely devout artist could justifiably repeat about himself the words of Jesus Christ from the 10th chapter of the Gospel of John: “I am the door.” And if our pun seems inappropriate to the reader, let us remind you: in the most famous of self-portraits, the outstanding master depicted himself in the image of the Savior, so you won’t immediately realize - is it Christ looking at us point-blank or a handsome painted artist? To a modern viewer such insolence seems blasphemous, but to a medieval viewer it did not seem so. To be like Christ is the main aspiration of any Christian, and Albrecht Dürer was both God-fearing and virtuous. One of his contemporaries wrote about the master: “In his entire life, not a single action is known that would deserve censure or at least leniency. He was completely flawless".

Early years in the biography of the artist Albrecht Durer

The omen did not deceive: a huge number of children were born in the Durer family - eighteen, of which, however, up to mature years Only three sons, including the artist, will survive. He was the third child of 18. My father noticed early on how strong Albrecht Jr.’s hand was and how accurate his eye was: he could confidently draw a line or circle without resorting to a ruler or compass. Of course, the father hoped that his son would become a jeweler and continue the dynasty.

But the son didn’t want to. At the age of 10, he discovered the incomparable joy that the miracle of touching pencil to paper gives him: “I painted in secret from my father. I knew he would be unhappy. But drawing has already become as necessary to me as air.”.

The elder Albrecht Durer gave up - and sent Albrecht the younger to the workshop of Michael Wolgemut, a famous artist and sculptor in Nuremberg (see portrait of Wolgemut by Dürer). The main thing that Dürer learned from him in three years was wood engraving. At first, interest in line, shape, and proportions was more important for him than interest in colors and color, and the art of engraving perfectly suited his natural inclinations.

New technology and famous works of Albrecht Durer

But Dürer was well received by the Schongauer brothers - Caspar, Paul and Ludwig, jewelers and engravers. From them he received the most valuable, one might say, exclusive skill - to engrave not on wood, but on copper. This was a new technique, popular among jewelers and requiring very delicate and precise work, and not everyone was able to master it. When creating a chisel engraving on copper, the master does not move the chisel, but moves the copper plate under it, while his hand remains motionless. In this most complex technique, which was not given to almost anyone, Dürer turned out to be unsurpassed. And the most famous works Albrecht Durer (“Saint Jerome in the Cell”, “Knight, Death and the Devil” and “Melancholy”) - these are copper engravings.

After Colmar, Dürer lived for several more years in Basel, the city of printing and bookselling, and during this time he managed to create about 250 book illustrations. Their quantity, and most importantly, their quality, was amazing. Especially considering that the author had just turned 20. Well, it’s not for nothing that Dürer’s godfather was Anton Koberger, the owner of the largest (24 printing presses, more than 100 employees) printing house in Nuremberg.

Marriage and family life of the artist Durer

Judging by the documents, Dürer’s absentee matchmaking did not cause any internal protest. He was a very respectful son, loved his father and idolized his mother, and it never occurred to him to disobey. Moreover: the famous Louvre self-portrait with red curls and in elegant clothes to the point of pretentiousness, for which the artist was more than once reproached for narcissism (as well as for the later self-portrait from the Prado), Dürer wrote specifically to send to the bride, who had never seen him. Presented the “product with its face”.

This marriage, which lasted until Dürer’s death and was outwardly quite prosperous, few dared to call happy. Dürer's closest friend, the humanist Willibald Pirkheimer (from the family of those very patrician Pirkheimers, whose wedding Dürer the father once successfully attended) wrote: « Family life Albrecht Dürer and Agnes Frei did not work out - perhaps because they did not have children. Or maybe they didn’t have children precisely because life didn’t work out...” Dürer's letters to a friend are replete with rude jokes regarding Pirkheimer's love affairs, but do not provide any information about Dürer's. It seems that this melancholy handsome man with thin features, long fingers and expressive eyes, not indifferent to his own appearance, was rather indifferent to what many are ready to lay down their lives on - love passions and romantic adventures.

...The wedding took place in July 1494, and already in September Dürer left Agnes for the first time, as he would do repeatedly later. He sent his wife to the village under the pretext of the plague approaching Nuremberg, and he himself went to Venice.

The works of Albrecht Durer of the Italian and Nuremberg periods

On one of his trips to Italy, of which there were several in Dürer’s biography, Pirkheimer encouraged his friend to prove to the Italians that he had a mastery of color and the laws of composition no worse than they did. This is how the triumphant work “Feast of the Rosary” was created - a painting by Durer, from which Giovanni Bellini was delighted and with which, it is believed, the German Renaissance began.

Returning home, the inspired master opens his own engraving workshop. It was not painting that fed the artist’s family (the customers of Dürer’s paintings caused him untold grief by rushing the work and always underpaying), but rather the series of engravings that were replicated in the printing house of godfather Koberger. The master's wife and mother sold his engravings during fair days in Nuremberg, and they soon became so popular that they were scattered throughout Germany and beyond. It was the engravings that brought 30-year-old Albrecht Dürer worldwide fame. They were maliciously copied, and the master more than once sued unscrupulous imitators.

An absolute “hit” was a series of works on the theme of the Apocalypse, especially “The Four Horsemen”: then it was the “millennium”, the turn of the 15th and 16th centuries, and rumors about the end of the world were circulating with all their might, to which the religious Durer himself listened, not without trepidation. He personally saw a comet in the sky (a harbinger of the Apocalypse) and nightmares about a great flood.

Dürer made engravings on wood and copper, wrote innovative watercolor sketches (“The Hare”, “A Large Piece of Turf”), created portraits and large canvases on a religious theme, worked on a drawing textbook, theoretical treatises and geometric calculations, did not disdain painting vases, making stained glass and jewelry. But none of the cases brought him a stable, guaranteed income. Even the most senior of his customers, Emperor Maximilian, never paid on time. True, he obliged the city of Nuremberg to assign Dürer an annual payment of one hundred guilders from city taxes (essentially, a pension), for which Dürer was deeply grateful to him. But as soon as Maximilian died, the city treacherously left the master without a livelihood, and the elderly artist conceived a whole adventure - to go with his wife (for once!) through the Netherlands to Aachen, to the place of coronation of the next emperor Charles V, and personally beg its about restoring justice.

Stingy? Knight!

Dürer reports how many guilders, pfennings, stubers and weispfennings (the types of currency change as he moves) he paid for pears and wine, a cedar rosary and a buffalo horn, an ivory skull and a chiseled box, a red wool shirt, an elk's hoof and a small turtle. We find out how much Dürer paid for firewood for the kitchen and shoes for his wife, for parchment, tweezers for removing carbon deposits, 2 Calcutta salt shakers and a basket of raisins; how much he spent on bathing and how much he gave to the messenger, the gatekeeper, the furrier and the tailor. Several times Dürer reports with satisfaction that he was able to safely exchange the damaged guilders. Or that his lunch was paid for by someone he meets during his travels. And also that one acquaintance sent him a hundred oysters, and others - 4 jugs of wine, a velvet wallet, a box of good medicinal potion, 7 Brabant cubits of velvet or a box of lemon sugar. The artist meticulously records how much he earned for engravings and how much he drank with friends, how much he gave to the pharmacist for enemas and how much to the monk who confessed to his wife.

In general, if we had only these records at our disposal, we could conclude: the artist Albrecht Durer is the most practical genius in history. However, the situation was exactly (well, almost) the opposite.

The oppressive fear of poverty haunted Agnes Dürer all her life. Her brilliant husband worked tirelessly, but this did not always allow him to cover basic expenses. In the last 4 years, Dürer almost abandoned the creativity that fed him, so that, anticipating death, he had time to finish an important theoretical treatise on measurements and proportions and the “Guide to strengthening castles, cities and fortresses”, because the work on fortification could be useful to someone unkind to Dürer, but that’s all -to my native Nuremberg. And Dürer developed the mysterious illness that sapped the artist’s strength several years before his death as a result of pure impracticality: he was elderly and not quite healthy man In the cold and wind, I decided to urgently go to the town of Nerensee, just to have time to look at the miracle of nature - a whale that had washed ashore. “The desire to know a lot and through this to comprehend the true essence of all things is inherent in us by nature”“Dürer was firmly convinced.

He died April 6, 1528, aged fifty-six. Willibald Pirkheimer, as promised, composed an epitaph for his beloved friend: "Under this hill lies what was mortal in Albrecht Durer".

Date of birth: May 21, 1471
Date of death: April 6, 1528
Place of birth: Nuremberg, Germany

Albrecht Durer- painter, draftsman and engraver, Albrecht Durer was recognized as one of the greatest masters of Western European art.

Albrecht Durer was a supporter of the Italian theory of art, but at the same time, many features of the mysticism of the Middle Ages can be found in the artist’s work. Dürer created his first self-portrait when he was thirteen years old.
Dürer was born in Nuremberg, the center of German humanism. His business skills, artistic talent and worldview were formed under the influence of three significant people in his life: his father, his godfather Koberger and his closest friend Wilibald Pirheimer.

Dürer received the basics of woodcut printing and painting in the workshop of Michael Wolgemut. After several years of study, he went to Colmar in order to meet the greatest engraver Martin Schongauer, but did not find him alive. From 1492 to 1494 the artist spent in Basel, the largest center of illustrated books. It was here that he became interested in copper engraving and woodcut printing.
After a trip to Strasbourg, Dürer returned to his homeland, but soon left for Venice. Along the way, he painted several landscapes using watercolors, which are called one of his very first works. of this genre in the art of Western Europe.

After returning to Nuremberg in 1495, Dürer opened his workshop and began creating drawings from which his students made woodcuts. Printing a large number of prints, since 1947 the artist has used the services of agents who sold the engravings he created throughout Europe. His fame was strengthened by the publication of a series of wood engravings "Apocalypse", in which the four horsemen of the Apocalypse fly over the bodies fallen people. During this period, Dürer's fame spread throughout Europe.
In the period from 1503 to 1504, the artist created watercolor sketches of plants and animals, among which the “Big Piece of Drain” became the most famous.

In 1506, Dürer again left for Venice. Dürer had an ambivalent attitude towards Venice. Here he felt like a master, but at the same time, this city for him was a den of thieves and swindlers.

Returning to his hometown, the artist continued to create engravings, but paintings occupied a more important place among his works at this time. Dürer continued to create in a rigid linear style. During this period, such paintings as “Adam and Eve”, “Assumption of the Mother of God”, “Adoration of the Trinity” appeared.
From 1511 to 1514, the artist mainly created engravings. At this time, he released a cycle of twelve engravings from the “Great Passion” series, thirty-seven engravings “Little Passion”, as well as twenty wood engravings “Life of Mary”. He creates his three most famous sheets: “Melancholy I”, “Knight, Death and the Devil” and “St. Jerome in his cell."

In 1514, Albrecht became an artist at the court of Maximilian I. At the same time, he created an engraving depicting a solemn procession and triumphal arch. This composition glorified the history of the imperial dynasty, as well as the exploits of the emperor. Dürer continues to paint, creating “The Virgin and Child and St. Anna" and "Portrait of Emperor Maximilian".

After the death of Maximilian I, Charles V comes to the throne, and Dürer goes to the new emperor. The trip turns into a journey through the Netherlands, which was described in detail in Dürer's travel diary. Along the way, the artist saw various works of art, and when he returned to Germany, he began to comprehend his observations and write treatises on perspective and the proportions of the human body - those problems that occupied the artist since his very first trip to Italy.

The question of Dürer's religious commitment still remains without a correct answer. In the artist’s paintings one can easily find both Protestant and Catholic shades. He sympathized with Luther, although he did not know him. In 1526, Dürer produced a copper engraving of "Portrait of Erasmus of Rotterdam", whose religious views apparently coincided with his own.

Dürer presented the diptych “The Four Apostles” to the city council of his hometown of Nuremberg. Maybe, this work was made especially for Nuremberg, which had recently become Protestant. But at the same time, the inscription below can also be regarded as a warning against the manifestation of religious fanaticism.

Achievements of Albrecht Durer:

He painted several landscapes using watercolors, which are considered one of the very first works of this genre in the art of Western Europe.
Was an artist at the court of Maximilian I and Charles V
He opened his own workshop and sold engravings throughout Europe.

Dates from the biography of Albrecht Durer:

1471 was born in the city of Nuremberg, Germany.
1492-1494 spent in Basel, a major center of illustrated books, where he became interested in copper engraving and woodcuts.
1495 opens his own workshop.
1497 sells prints throughout Europe.
1514 becomes court artist of Maximilian I.
1520 leaves for Emperor Charles V.
1528 dies in hometown Nuremberg, Germany.

Interesting Facts Albrecht Durer:

He painted his first self-portrait when he was thirteen years old.
The artist’s worldview was formed under the influence of his father, godfather Koberger and closest friend Wilibald Pirheimer.
The question of the artist's religious commitment still remains unanswered.

She softened Dutch realism with the ideal forms of Italian art. The Franconian school of painting, the center of which was Nuremberg, retained the same manner of exclusive concern for the expressiveness of faces and petty fidelity to nature. One of its prominent representatives was Wolgemut, whose student was a man considered the true representative of all German painting of that era, Albrecht Durer (born 1471, died 1528).

Albrecht Durer. Self-portrait at 26, 1498

The son of a city dweller who had many children, from an early age he had to feed himself, and the concern for food did not leave him all his life. During the years of his celebrity, Dürer was not a poor man; the stories about this arose from a misunderstanding; but his position was very unenviable in comparison with the luxury in which the famous Italian artists lived. He was a man of genius, very educated, and knew how to observe nature; his imagination is rich, his drawing is extremely good.

Dürer painted both alfresco and oil paints, and gouache and watercolors, painted with pen, charcoal, chalk, with rare skill engraved with a chisel on copper, on tin, iron, copper, made engravings with strong vodka, carved on wood and on lime slate - in a word, his technique was extremely diverse. But for all his genius, he did not achieve perfect beauty shapes and colors Italian painting. Dürer visited Italy twice, in 1494 and 1506, but his nature turned out to be impervious to impressions Italian art. In 1520 he also traveled to the Netherlands; there he learned a lot.

Albrecht Durer. Paumgartner Altar (detail), ca. 1503

With the exception of these trips, Albrecht Dürer spent his entire life in his hometown. He worked tirelessly; the number of his paintings, drawings, and engravings is very large. He did not receive any incentives; the source of his zeal for work was only his spiritual attraction. The severity and angularity of Dürer's everyday environment was reflected in his works; He took it as material for them and cared not about beauty, but only about expressiveness, which in his case often turns into rudeness. The character of German life of those times is perfectly conveyed by his works. In Dürer's religious paintings, like the Dutch, realism usually reigns supreme. Among the best among them are “Feast of the Rosary”, “Adoration of the Magi”, “Martyrdom of 10,000 Christians” (under the Persian king Shapur), “Trinity”.

Albrecht Durer. Worship of the Trinity. Landauer Altarpiece, 1511

Albrecht Durer painted many portraits; Of these, the most famous are the portraits of his teacher Wolgemut, Emperor Maximilian and a portrait of Hieronymus Holtzschuer, excellent in technique. Dürer's drawings are very diverse in both themes and methods of execution. His engravings on copper and drawings on wood were distributed throughout Europe and contributed to the development of these types of art. He had many good students, so the glory of the Nuremberg school lasted long after him.