Durer

AlbrechtDurer(1471-1528)wasanartistoftheNorthernRenaissance,remarkablefortherangeandversatilityofhiswork.HiswoodcutsandengravingsmadehimfamousthroughoutEuropeandheisstilloneofthemostbrilliantprintmakersofalltime.Asanoilpainter,Durerwasequallysuccessfulatreligiousandsecularsubjects,producingmagnificentaltarpiecesandpowerfulportraits.Hisdrawingsandwatercoloursareimpressiveforthediversityoftheirsubjectmatterandthevariedmediainwhichtheywereproduced.ThesonofaHungariangoldsmith,DurergrewupinNuremberg,atownhalf-waybetweentheNetherlandsandItaly,andhefoundinspirationintheworkofpaintersofboththesemajorartisticcentresofhistime.Butratherdmsimplyimitatingwhatothersweredoing,Durerwasverymuchaninnovator;heisthefirstartistwhoisknowntohavepaintedaself-portraitandtohavedonealandscapepaintingofaspecificscene.Thisbookcontainssomeofhisbestlovedworks,includingTheYoungHareandPrayingHands.