Albrecht Durer: biography of the master

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

There is hardly a person in the world who at least once has not heard of an engraver and genius named Albrecht Dürer. The biography of this artist was not too stormy, but he left the world with so many amazing and amazing works that delighted his contemporaries that they can only be compared with the creative heritage that belongs to Leonardo da Vinci. The painter was born in the heyday of the Renaissance in the famous German trading city of Nuremberg in May 1471. He died in April 1568. It all happened in the same Nuremberg. Between these dates is the life of a great man. So, Albrecht Dürer - short biography.

It is said that every famous painter is influenced by some master or teacher. Dürer had three such people who actually shaped his views, creative principles and approaches. Firstly, this is his father - as follows from many sources, a Hungarian jeweler. Secondly, his godfather, who devoted himself to publishing books. And finally, his friend Wilibald Pirckheimer,thanks to which the German painter fell in love with the ideals of the Italian Renaissance for life. Albrecht Dürer, whose biography is not replete with mystical and incredible events, is still known for his mysterious paintings and engravings, where the desire for perfect harmony and the horrors of a cruel time are intertwined.

In his hometown, the novice genius studied with master Wolgemut, where he mastered the basics of not only painting, but also woodcuts. But he became more and more interested in engraving. He heard that one of the best specialists in this field, Martin Schongauer, lives in Colmar. The artist wanted to meet him in order to learn this art, but he never succeeded. But how could something stop a man like Albrecht Dürer? The biography of the artist tells us about his determination. The painter leaves for Basel and there he studies the art of illustrating books for several years, and also improves as an engraver. In 1494 he gets on his feet, marries. The artist gets his own workshop and starts earning. This allows him to fulfill his old dream - to go to Italy. What does Albrecht Dürer meet there? The artist's biography in this fabulous country has undergone unexpected changes - he meets the crowned persons (in particular, Emperor Maximilian I) and enjoys their favor.

With a special scholarship, Dürer was able to create a huge amount of work to travel further in Europe, in particular in the Netherlands. On theirpaintings, he did not spare money and used the most prestigious and expensive paints that only existed at that time. Every day he practiced drawing - and more than nine hundred sheets have come down to us, made in a stunningly perfect graphic technique. He embodied in his paintings and drawings different types of contemporary people - from peasants and dandies to beautiful refined women. He painted animals and plants as if they were photographed. Albrecht Dürer, an artist loved by kings, was also a master of landscapes. His paintings on religious themes make you touch and think about the good and the eternal ("The Adoration of the Magi"). They are also full of mysteries that scientists are still struggling with ("Savior of the World"). He was the first in Germany to paint nudes (“Adam and Eve”) and created multi-figured compositions full of vitality. His portraits and self-portraits convey character traits and spiritual secrets. The strange wild landscapes on his engravings, the expectation of the horrors of the Apocalypse and the triumph of death even now make viewers think about the most important thing. Durer will always remain a great artist - after all, interest in him has not weakened for more than one hundred years.