04/10/2017 at 17:26 · Pavlofox · 17 380

The most famous paintings Albrecht Durer

Albrecht Dürer was born into a large family of a jeweler; he had seventeen brothers and sisters. In the 15th century, the profession of a goldsmith was considered very respectful, so the father tried to teach his children the craft in which he practiced. But Albrecht’s talent for art manifested itself at a fairly early age, and his father did not dissuade him; on the contrary, at the age of 15 he sent his son to the famous Nuremberg master Michael Wolgemut. After 4 years of studying with the master, Dürer went to travel and at the same time painted his first independent painting, “Portrait of the Father.” During his travels, he honed his skills with different masters in different cities. Let's consider the most famous paintings of Albrecht Durer, recognized by the international community.

10.

This painting by Dürer caused a lot of condemnation, both from the artist’s contemporaries and from modern art critics. It's all about the pose in which the author drew himself and the hidden message conveyed through the details. At the time of the artist, only saints could be painted in frontal view or close to it. The holly in the artist’s hand is a reference to the crown of thorns, which was placed on the head of Christ at the crucifixion. The inscription at the top of the canvas reads “My affairs are determined from above,” this is a reference to the author’s devotion to God, and that all his achievements at this stage of life are with the blessing of God. This painting, stored in the Louvre, is assessed as having made certain changes in the human worldview.

9.

With age, Dürer went even further in reflecting his experiences on canvas. For this impudence, his contemporaries harshly criticized the artist. On this canvas he painted his self-portrait from the front. Whereas even more recognized contemporaries could not afford such audacity. In the portrait, the author looks strictly ahead and holds his hand in the middle of his chest, which is typical for reflections of Christ. Ill-wishers found all the similarities in Durer’s painting and reproached him for comparing himself with Christ. Looking at the picture, some may agree with the critics, while others may see something more. There are no objects that attract attention in the picture, which forces the viewer to focus on the image of a person. Those who have seen the picture consider the range of feelings on the face and image of the person depicted.

8.

The portrait, painted in 1505, is considered a Venetian-inspired work by Dürer. It was during this period that he stayed in Venice for the second time and honed his skills with Giovanni Bellini, with whom he eventually became friends. It is not known who is depicted in the portrait; some suggest that it is a Venetian courtesan. Since there is no information about the artist’s marriage, there are no other versions about the person who posed. The painting is kept at the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna.

7.

The painting was commissioned by Dürer's patron for the Church of All Saints in Wittenberg. Because of the presence in the church of the relics of some of the ten thousand martyrs. Religious history familiar to many believers, the massacre of Christian soldiers on Mount Ararat is reflected in every detail. In the center of the composition, the author drew himself with a flag on which he wrote the time of writing and the author of the painting. Next to him is painted Dürer’s friend, the humanist Konrad Celtis, who died before the painting was completed.

6.

Durer's most recognizable painting was painted for the Church of San Bartolomeo in Italy. The artist painted this picture for several years. The picture is full of bright colors, as this trend was becoming popular at that time. The painting is named so because of the subject reflected in it, Dominican monks who used rosaries in their prayers. In the center of the picture is the Virgin Mary with the baby Christ in her arms. Surrounded by worshippers, including Pope Julian the Second and Emperor Maximilian the First. Child - Jesus distributes wreaths of roses to everyone. Dominican monks used rosaries of strictly white and red colors. White symbolizes the joy of the Virgin Mary, red the blood of Christ at the crucifixion.

5.

Another very famous painting by Durer was copied many times, printed on postcards, stamps and even coins. The history of the painting is striking in its symbolism. The canvas depicts not just the hand of a pious man, but Dürer’s brother. Even in childhood, the brothers agreed to take turns painting, since fame and wealth from this craft do not come immediately and not to everyone, one of the brothers had to ensure the existence of the other. Albrecht was the first to take up painting, and when it was his brother’s turn, his hands had already become unaccustomed to painting, he could not paint. But Albrecht's brother was a pious and humble man, he was not upset with his brother. These hands are reflected in the picture.

4.

Dürer depicted his patron several times on different paintings, but the portrait of Maximilian the First became one of the world-famous paintings. The emperor is depicted, as befits monarchs, with rich robes, an arrogant look, and the picture reeks of arrogance. As in other paintings of the artist, there is a peculiar symbol. The Emperor holds in his hand a pomegranate, a symbol of abundance and immortality. A hint that it is he who provides the people with prosperity and fertility. The grains visible on a peeled piece of pomegranate are a symbol of the versatility of the emperor’s personality.

3.

This engraving by Durer symbolizes a person's path through life. A knight dressed in armor is a man protected by his faith from temptation. Death walking nearby is depicted with an hourglass in his hands, indicating the outcome at the end of the allotted time. The devil walks behind the knight, depicted as some kind of pitiful creature, but ready to attack him at the slightest opportunity. It all comes down to the eternal struggle between good and evil, strength of spirit in the face of temptation.

2.

Durer's most famous engraving of his 15 works on the theme of the Biblical apocalypse. The four horsemen are Victory, War, Famine and Death. The hell that follows them is depicted in the engraving in the form of a beast with an open mouth. As in the legend, the horsemen rush, sweeping away everyone in their path, both poor and rich, kings and ordinary people. A reference to the fact that everyone will receive what they deserve, and everyone will answer for their sins.

1.

The painting was painted during Dürer's return from Italy. The painting intertwines German attention to detail and the colorfulness and brightness of colors characteristic of the Italian Renaissance. The attention to lines, mechanical subtleties and details makes reference to the sketches of Leonardo Da Vinci. In this world-famous painting, the scene described in sufficient detail in Biblical tales, transferred in paint to canvas, leaves the impression that this is exactly how it happened.

What else to see:

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

From 1477 Albrecht attended the Latin school. At first, the father involved his son in working in a jewelry workshop. However, Albrecht wished to paint. During these years, he created a self-portrait (1484, Albertina, Vienna) and “Madonna with two angels” (1485, Engraving Cabinet, Berlin). 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 studio 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:5.

From Wolgemut, Dürer mastered not only painting, but also engraving on wood and copper. Wolgemut, together with his stepson Wilhelm Pleydenwurff, carried out 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, "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 slightly 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 became acquainted with the work of Mantegna, Polaiolo, 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 “they don’t like me 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 “Little Book in Praise of Germany” (1508) calls Dürer’s visit to Italy in 1506 “the second.” All undated landscape sketches of Dürer, which became the first in fine arts Western Europe watercolors in this genre, supporters of the version refer specifically to the Italian journey of 1493/1494-1495. Dürer later used these motifs, as well as sketches of the surroundings of Nuremberg, in his engravings:27.

Starting independent work

IN last decade The 15th century artist created several picturesque portraits: of his father, the trade agent Oswald Krell (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 (presumably the artist's 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 his assistants, completed the polyptych “Seven Sorrows” (about 1500) for the Elector of Saxony.

Venice

Nuremberg 1506-1520

Landauer Altar. 1511. Museum of Art History. Vein

In 1509, Dürer was elected as a named member of the Great Council of Nuremberg, and it is possible that in this capacity he took part in the city's artistic projects. 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 painting and a carved wooden 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 acquired Dürer's painting, the frame remained in Nuremberg:106. Despite his success and established fame (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 artist nevertheless realizes that he is unable to change attitudes his customers, who considered, according to the tradition rooted in Germany, that the painter was just an artisan. So, judging by the letters to Jacob Heller, for whom Dürer made the altar image “The Ascension of Mary”, this Frankfurt merchant was dissatisfied with the increase in the work time, and the artist had to explain that the work High Quality, unlike ordinary paintings, requires more time. Geller was ultimately satisfied with the work completed, but the reward Dürer received for it barely covered the cost of the materials expended.

Dürer concentrated his efforts on achieving the highest skill in engraving, seeing in this Right way to recognition and material well-being: 7. Even before his trip to Venice, Dürer’s main income came from the sale of engravings. The artist’s mother and wife were involved in the implementation at 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 Imgoffs and Tuchers.

From 1507 to 1512, Dürer produced many commissioned engravings, as well as a series of religious engravings (Life of Mary, Greater Passion, Lesser Passion, Passion on copper) intended for sale. In 1515-1518, Dürer tried to work in a new technique at that time - etching. Since acids for etching copper were not yet known at that time, Dürer made etchings on iron boards. Somewhat earlier, in 1512, Dürer used this type of engraving as “dry point”, but soon abandoned 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 became the artist's main patron. Having by that time become a famous master of engraving, Dürer, together with the students of his workshop, took part in working on the order of the emperor: “The Arc de Triomphe,” a monumental woodcut (3.5 x 3 m), composed of prints from 192 boards:8. The grandiose composition, conceived and implemented in honor of Maximilian, was intended to decorate the wall. The model for it was the ancient Roman triumphal arches. Pirkheimer and Johann Stabius (idea and symbolism), court artist Jörg Kölderer, and engraver Hieronymus Andrea took part in the development of this project:76. In addition to the “Arch of Triumph”, Marx Treitzsaurwein developed a design for the engraving “Triumphal Procession”, the woodcuts for which were carried out by Dürer together with Albrecht Altdorfer and Hans Springinklee. In 1513, the artist, together with other leading German masters, took part in the illustration (pen drawings) of one of the five copies of the “Prayer Book of Emperor Maximilian”. The financial difficulties constantly experienced by the emperor did not allow him to pay Dürer on time. Maximilian offered the artist exemption from city taxes, but the Nuremberg Council opposed this. Dürer also received a charter (Freibrief) from Maximilian, which protected him from copying his woodcut and copper engravings. In 1515, at the request of Dürer, the emperor granted him a lifelong pension of 100 guilders per year, from the sums contributed by the city of Nuremberg to the imperial treasury.

Dürer and the Reformation

In 1517, Dürer joined the circle of Nuremberg reformers, led by the Augustinian vicar Johann Staupitz and his colleague Wenceslaus 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 relationships with prominent figures of the Reformation: Zwingli (whose teaching he became interested in for some time), Karlstadt, Melanchthon, Cornelius Grapheus, Nicholas Kratzer. After Dürer’s death, Pirkheimer, 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 Reichstag of Worms, Dürer wrote in his Diary of a Journey to the Netherlands: “Oh God, if Luther is dead, who will henceforth explain the holy gospel to us so clearly?” Dürer adhered to the views of the “iconoclasts”, who opposed the deification of “miraculous” images, however, as is clear from the “Dedication to Pirkheimer” in the treatise “Guide to Measurement ...”, he did not insist that works of art be removed from churches.

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

Trip to the Netherlands

A. Durer. Portrait of Erasmus. Paper, black chalk. OK. 1520

On October 4, 1520, Charles V confirmed Dürer's right to a pension of 100 guilders per year. The entries in the Diary end here. Judging by the sketches in the travel album, the artist made the return journey along the Rhine and Main. The artist returned to Nuremberg in July 1521.

Last years

Dürer's grave in the St. 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, which manifest his familiarity with Dutch art. One of the most important paintings of recent years is the diptych “Four Apostles,” which the artist presented to the city council in 1526. Among researchers of Dürer's work, there are disagreements in the interpretation of this diptych - some, following the calligrapher Johann Neudörfer ( ), who, on the artist’s instructions, carried out the inscriptions on the painting (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 the religious disagreements that shook Germany and a reflection of the idea of “the discrepancy between the humanistic utopia and reality”: 105.

In the Netherlands, Dürer fell victim to an unknown disease (possibly malaria), from which he suffered for the rest of his life:92. He reported the symptoms of the disease - including a severely enlarged spleen - in a letter to his doctor. Dürer drew himself pointing to the spleen, in the explanation of the drawing he wrote: “Where the yellow spot is, and where I point with my finger, it hurts.”

Before 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 to 5, and 9 is obtained from 5. Undoubtedly, it was not by chance that Dürer enriched his “magic square” with such details that cannot be ignored.

Dürer's star and geographic maps

Drawings

"Guide to Measuring with Compasses and Ruler"

Some of the other sections of the brief plan (problems of depicting architecture, perspective and chiaroscuro) were included in the treatise “Guide to Measuring with Compasses and Ruler” ( Vnderweysung der messung mit dem zirckel vnd richtscheyt, published in 1525, the second edition with amendments and additions by Dürer was published in 1538): 11.

"Guide to fortifying cities, castles and gorges"

In the last years of his life, Albrecht Dürer paid much attention to improving 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,” published in 1527, Dürer describes, in particular, a fundamentally new type of fortification, which he called basteia. The creation of a new theory of fortification, according to Durer himself, was due to his concern for protecting the population “from violence and unjust oppression.” According to Dürer, the construction of fortifications would 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 the defenders.

Memory

Comments

Notes

Russian humanitarian encyclopedic dictionary. Woodcut
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The world of the book. From ancient times to the beginning of the 20th century / Reviewers A. A. Govorov, E. A. Dinerstein, V. G. Utkov. - Moscow: Book, 1986. - 50,000 copies.
Giulia Bartrum, "Albrecht Dürer and his Legacy", British Museum Press, 2002, ISBN 0-7141-2633-0 Rebel E.
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Letter from Pirkheimer to the architect Johann Certe
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Hotchkiss Price, David. Albrecht Dürer's Renaissance: Humanism, Reformation and the Art of Faith. Michigan, 2003.

German painter, draftsman, engraver, art theorist. The founder of the art of the German Renaissance. German painter and graphic artist, one of 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 the North European artists, author of a practical guide to fine and decorative arts in German, who promoted the need for the diversified development of artists. Founder of comparative anthropometry. In addition to the above, he left a noticeable mark on military engineering. The first European artist to write an autobiography.

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

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. During these years, he created a self-portrait (1484, Albertina, Vienna) and “Madonna with Two Angels” (1485, Engraving Cabinet, Berlin). 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.

From Wolgemut, Dürer mastered not only painting, but also engraving on wood and copper. 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.

Studying in 1490 traditionally ended with a journey (German: Wanderjahre), during which the apprentice learned skills from masters from other areas. Dürer's student trip lasted until 1494. His exact route is unknown, but he traveled to a number of cities in Germany, Switzerland and the Netherlands, continuing to improve in the visual 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 Schongauer’s workshop. Dürer later moved to Basel.

Soon the young artist returns to Nuremberg. Now he already has a reputation famous artist, so he not only receives orders, but also opens his own school. Dürer makes a number of engravings on copper - “Love for Sale” (1495–1496), “St. family with a grasshopper" (circa 1494–1496), "Three Peasants" (circa 1497), " 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 with the chisel, using a sharp, angular and nervous stroke, with the help of which sinuous, tense contours are created, the form is sculpted plastically, light and shadows are conveyed, and space is built.

Dürer worked with particular intensity and tenacity in engraving (about 350 drawings for woodcuts and about 100 engravings 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 a turning point. Here Dürer embodied his expectation of terrible retribution and world-historical changes in breathtaking fantastic images. In the subsequent cycles “Great Passion” (circa 1497-1511), “Life of Mary” (circa 1502-11) and “Little Passion” (1509-11), he perfected the rhythmic structure of lines, sometimes tender and fragile, sometimes full of strength and internal dynamics.

In his engravings on copper, Dürer's attraction to clarity of line and volume, to the richness of plastic forms and light-and-shadow transitions was evident. Having achieved the amazing subtlety of graphic language already in engravings created around 1500-03, Dürer came to his highest achievements in three so-called “masterful” engravings of 1513-14: “Horseman, Death and the Devil” (1513) - an image of unwavering adherence to one’s duty, resistance to any temptation; in “Melancholy” (1514) are embodied internal conflicts and restlessness of the creative spirit of man; “St. Jerome” (1514) was a humanistic glorification of the inquisitive thought of the explorer, 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 Holy Scripture. Dürer released his best book– illustrated Apocalypse. The series of eighteen sheet engravings 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. Dürer also brought this cosmic and timeless quality into his work. His composition rose, 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 that he acquired during this time could not be discarded. Dürer's great achievement was that by the power of his imagination and realistic skill he translated these gigantic visions, with their spells and ecstasies, into images of vital conviction.

At the same time, Dürer began work on the cycle of engravings “The Great Passion”, and in 1502 - on the cycle “Life of Mary”, completing them only in 1511. All three cycles belong to greatest achievements religious art in the field of wood engraving.

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 caused by the fact that counterfeit engravings with Dürer's monogram had appeared in Italian cities. In addition, the artist hoped that he would receive new orders in Venice.

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 receive such an important order. Dürer was associated with him friendly relations since my previous visit.

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

In 1507, Dürer returned to Nuremberg and began work 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 1513–1514, the master created works that marked the pinnacle of his creativity. These are primarily three copper engravings: “Horseman, Death and the Devil” (1513), “St. Jerome" (1514) and "Melancholy" (1514).

Dürer was the only artist to whom Maximilian assigned an annual annuity of 100 florins for life. 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 annuities 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 theoretical treatises “Guide to Measuring with Compasses and Ruler” and “Four Books on Human Proportions,” which incorporated the conclusions he came to as a result of studying proportions and became the basis of a manual for teaching painting.

According to the author, they were supposed to become a kind of introduction to the artist’s encyclopedia he had planned. However, Dürer did not have time to implement this grandiose plan. On April 6, 1528, the artist died after a serious liver disease.

Dürer's House Museum

The place where the artist lived and worked from 1509 until his death in 1528. Dürer lived in the 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 association of city museums.

The building has two levels: the lower floors are built of sandstone, and the upper three have a wooden frame. The roof is half-hipped, with dormer windows facing the street. The artist’s first museum was created in this ancient house in 1826: initially the exhibition 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 and opened to visitors in 1949. The museum is located in the central part of the city, next to Nuremberg Castle and a park area.

Works

M elancholy

1514

Copper engraving by the German artist Albrecht Dürer, completed in 1514. “Melancholia” is one of Durer’s most mysterious works, and stands out for the complexity and non-obviousness of the idea, the brightness of the 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 a modern expert on Dürer’s work, Marcel Brion, 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 La Gioconda."

And I'll give it to Eva

Painting by the German artist Albrecht Durer. The painting consists of two large-format boards painted in oil. The diptych was painted in 1507. Both panels are 209 cm in height, one is 81 cm in width, the other is 80 cm.

The artist painted a picture specifically for the altar, but, unfortunately, it was never finished. It's worth saying that this work and its plot was created in the spirit of ancient times. The artist emphasized 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 ancestors of humanity, the first people who descended from heaven to earth and gave rise to the race of people. The Bible says that Adam and Eve had many differences between themselves, which is why the author depicted them separately. But if you look more closely, you can see that the picture is a single whole - Adam is holding the branch, and Eve is holding the fruit that used to hang on it.

A self-portrait of Durer

The last of Dürer's three large painted self-portraits and the most famous of them. 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, painted in early 1500, is the last of Dürer's three large painted self-portraits and the most famous of them. . Considered the most personal, complex and iconic of all the artist's self-portraits.
The self-portrait attracts attention for its similarity with images of Christ accepted in art at that time - the symmetry of the composition, the colors in 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 either side of Dürer seem to float in space, emphasizing the symbolism of the portrait.

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

The apparent symmetry of the picture is somewhat broken: the head is located slightly to the right of center, strands of hair fall to the side, and the gaze is directed to the left.
At the end of the 15th and beginning of the 16th centuries, a strictly frontal view was the exception for a secular portrait (one of the few examples of the use of such an 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 images gave way to three-quarter images. 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 took pride in their ability to depict a three-quarter model. For the viewer of the early 16th century, the full-face view was associated not with a secular portrait, but with a religious one and, above all, with the image of Christ.

Four witches

One of Durer's most mysterious works. Its plot has been interpreted differently by different scientists. The composition is based on the ancient group “The Three Graces”, but the artist added a fourth figure. The door on the left, from which flames burst out and the head of the devil is visible, represents the gates of hell, the door on the right, in front of which lies a bone, is the gates of death. Four women are depicted: one of them, in the background, is possibly Eris, the goddess of discord; in the three figures in the foreground they see Venus, Minerva and Juno. The latter was the patroness of married women, which is why she is depicted wearing a cap. Some researchers associate the engraving with the theme of “The Judgment of Paris” and view 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, and constantly sketches folk types. What remains from him is a whole series of images of peasants, most of which date specifically to these years (copper engravings - “Men’s Bath”, “Dancing Peasants”, “Four Witches”, “The Piper”, “At the Market”). At the same time he is studying decorative arts And book graphics, depicting in an engraving commissioned by Emperor Maximilian a grandiose triumphal arch and decorating his prayer book with drawings in the margins.

Adoration of the Magi

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

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

Source-Internet

Albrecht Durer - the greatest German artist - master of the Western European Renaissance updated: December 4, 2017 by: website

Albrecht Dürer (German Albrecht Dürer, May 21, 1471, Nuremberg - April 6, 1528, Nuremberg) - German painter and graphic artist, one of the greatest masters of the 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, the author of a practical guide to fine and decorative arts in 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 Dürer the Elder, literally translated his Hungarian surname Aitoshi (Hungarian Ajtósi, from the name of the village of Aitosh, from the word ajtó - “door.”) 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 an insider 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. Durer himself spoke about this in his “Family Chronicle,” which he created at the end of his life, one of the first autobiographies in the history of 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 wrote in his German History that Dürer's paintings were 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. The Gothic angularity characteristic of his early works disappears. 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 emergence of the Northern European self-portrait as an independent genre is associated with the name of Dürer. 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 skill in execution, observation, and fidelity to the rendering 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 major 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 of the British Museum). - 3000 copies. - ISBN 978-5-366-00421-3.
Benoit A. History of painting of all times and peoples. - St. Petersburg: Publishing House "Neva", 2002. - T. 1. - P. 297-314. - 544 p. - ISBN 5-7654-1889-9.
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Albrecht Dürer was born in Nuremberg on May 21, 1471. His father moved from Hungary in the middle of the 15th century and was known as the best jeweler. There were eighteen children in the family; the future artist was born third.

From early childhood, Dürer helped his father in the jewelry workshop, and he had high hopes for his son. But these dreams were not destined to come true, because Dürer the Younger’s talent manifested itself early, and the father accepted that the child would not become a jewelry maker. At that time, the workshop of the Nuremberg artist Michael Wolgemut was very popular and had an impeccable reputation, which is why Albrecht was sent there at the age of 15. Wolgemut was not only an excellent artist, but also skillfully worked on wood and copper engraving and perfectly passed on his knowledge to a diligent student.

After finishing his studies in 1490, Dürer painted his first painting, “Portrait of the Father,” and went on a journey in order to learn skills from other masters and gain new impressions. He visited many cities in Switzerland, Germany and the Netherlands, improving his level of fine art. Once in Colmar, Albrecht had the opportunity to work in the studio of the famous painter Martin Schongauer, but he did not have time to meet the famous artist in person, because Martin died a year earlier. But amazing creativity M. Schongauer greatly influenced the young artist and was reflected in new paintings in a style unusual for him.

While in Strasbourg, in 1493, Dürer received a letter from his father, where he announced an agreement to marry his son to a friend’s daughter. Returning to Nuremberg, the young artist married Agnes Frey, the daughter of a coppersmith, mechanic and musician. Thanks to his marriage, Albrecht increased his social status and could now have his own business, since his wife’s family was respected. The artist painted a portrait of his wife in 1495 entitled “My Agnes”. Happy marriage It’s impossible to name, because his wife was not interested in art, but they lived together until their death. The couple were childless and left no offspring.

Popularity outside Germany came to Albrecht with the help of copper and wood engravings in large numbers of copies when he returned from Italy. The artist opened his own workshop, where he published engravings; in the very first series, Anton Koberger was his assistant. In his native Nuremberg, craftsmen had greater freedom, and Albrecht applied new techniques in creating engravings and began selling them. The talented painter collaborated with famous masters and performed works for famous Nuremberg publications. And in 1498, Albrecht made woodcuts for the publication “Apocalypse” and already gained European fame. It was during this period that the artist joined the circle of Nuremberg humanists, which was headed by Kondrat Tseltis.

Afterwards, in 1505, in Venice, Dürer was met and received with respect and honor, and the artist performed the altar image “Feast of the Rosary” for the German church. Having become acquainted with the Venetian school here, the painter changed his style of work. Albrecht's work was very highly appreciated in Venice, and the council offered money for maintenance, but the talented artist still left for his hometown.

Albrecht Dürer's fame increased every year, his works were respected and recognizable. In Nuremberg, he purchased for himself a huge house in Zisselgasse, which can still be visited today; the Dürer House Museum is located there. Having met with the Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I, the artist showed two portraits of his predecessors, drawn in advance. The Emperor was delighted with the paintings and immediately ordered his portrait, but was unable to pay on the spot, so he began to pay Durer a decent bonus every year. When Maximilian died, the prize was no longer paid, and the artist set out on a journey to restore justice, but he failed. And at the end of the trip, Albrecht fell ill with an unknown disease, possibly malaria, and suffered from attacks for the remaining years.

During the last years of his life, Dürer worked as a painter; one of the important paintings is considered to be the “Four Apostles” presented to the city council. Researchers of the famous artist’s works come to disagreements; some see four temperaments in this painting, while others see Durer’s response to disagreements in religion. But Albrecht took his thoughts on this matter to his grave. Eight years after his illness, A. Dürer died on April 6, 1528 in the city where he was born.