Albrecht Dürer

Biography

Albrecht Dürer was born on May 21, 1471, in Nuremberg, Bavaria, and died there on April 6, 1528. He was a German painter, draftsman, copper engraver, art theorist, and a key figure of the Northern Renaissance. Dürer is recognized as the foremost European master of woodcuts and engraving, elevating these techniques to the level of true art. Besides his artistic career, he made significant contributions to military engineering by developing theories of fortification. He was the first European artist to write an autobiography. Dürer's work spans a wide range of genres including portraits, self-portraits, allegories, religious, historical, mythological, genre, animal painting, and landscapes. Among his famous works are “Melancholia,” “Praying Hands,” “Adoration of the Magi,” “Self-Portrait in a Fur-Trimmed Coat,” “Adam and Eve,” “Knight, Death and the Devil,” “Saint Jerome in His Study,” “The Rhinoceros,” “The Four Apostles,” and “The Feast of the Rose Garlands.” Furthermore, Dürer authored a practical guide on the visual arts and crafts in German, and he is considered the founder of comparative anthropometry in the theory of proportions in art. His engravings are extensively present in museum and private collections. Throughout his professional life, he combined roles as an artist, engraver, draftsman, manuscript illuminator, art theorist, mathematician, designer, bookplate artist, jeweler, graphic artist, and illustrator.