Albrecht Dürer

Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528) is a master artist who, with giants like Leonardo da Vinci and Rembrandt van Rijn, occupies the pinnacle of achievement. His appeal was extraordinary in his lifetime, and it has not diminished since his death. A member of the northern school, he combined Gothic and Renaissance traits in a way that has a particular attraction to the modern eye. Overriding all considerations of style, however, are his talents as an artist of genius, as revealed in his mastery of depiction, in the breadth of his composition, and in the penetration of his portrayal. These are the basis of his fame, past and present. Dürer's crowning achievement was in the graphic media - drawing and printmaking. The only names that come to mind as peers in these are Rembrandt and Goya, and he preceded the Dutchman by a century and the Spaniard by three. In discussing a master artist one picture is worth a thousand words, and one need only turn to the engraving of Melencolia I to see why the Italian Renaissance writer Giorgio Vasari said it was "the most delicate work an engraver could possibly bring off." A comprehensive selection of Dürer's compositions is presented here by the esteemed German art historian Heinz Lüdecke, who has provided a lucid essay that gives essential biographical and historical information, as well as a description and stylistic analysis of the important works in all media. The text is perfectly complemented by the illustrations, which reproduce in color or black and white the heart of Dürer's extant œuvre. For the initiate who wants to familiarize himself with the essential meaning of Dürer and for the connoisseur who wants to savor his remarkable creations, this book serves in a unique way." --