Albrecht Dürer ~ Biography & Gallery (1471 - 1528)
Header Photo: Self-Portrait at 28, 1500 (Detail)
Albrecht Durer
Complete picture here
© Estate of Albrecht Dürer
Albrecht Dürer: Biography I - Biography II - Dates of Important Works - Paintings Gallery - Graphic Gallery
Albrecht Dürer Wares: Vintage Prints - Canvas Prints - Durer Parastone Sculptures Notes - Durer Parastone Sculptures - Advertise here
Albrecht Dürer Links:
Durer canvas prints @ ebay.com (direct link to his canvas prints) -
Advertise here -
Albrecht Dürer Books available @ amazon.com
Albrecht Dürer ~ Biography I (1471 - 1521)
Known as: German Renaissance painter, wood carver, engraver, mathematician
Born: May 21, 1471, Nuremberg, Germany
Date of death: April 6, 1528, Nuremberg
Buried: St. John’s churchyard, Nuremberg
Albrecht Dürer
Self-Portrait (1493)
Albrecht Dürer was the son of a well-off goldsmith Albrecht Dürer the Elder and Barbara Holper. From the ages of 15 through to 18, he was apprenticed in the workshop of Nuremberg artist Michael Wolgemut where he was trained in drawing, woodcutting and printing.
He soon gained a reputation for the quality of his engravings. When he had completed his apprenticeship, he travelled across Europe, visiting the Netherlands and taking two prolonged stays in Italy. Perhaps the most important part of his time in Italy was his stay in Venice and his love of the work of the then elderly Giovanni Bellini.It was during his second visit to Italy that he turned his hand to painting.
In 1494, he married Agnes Frey, the daughter of a local merchant. It is not known hwhat kind of relationship he had with her, but soon after the marriage he travelled to Italy without her.
In 1495, he started his own workshop in Nuremberg. It was successful with his engravings much in demand from wealthy German patrons. Not only that but he was frequently commissioned for portraits and to paint several altarpieces. He also painted numerous self-portraits (has there been an artist who has painted so many self-portraits?) of him at different ages that the frequency of them has almost made one thing that he painted them not at different ages but at different hours! On a purely superficial level, he was a good-looking guy though.
By 1513 he was 42 and created his greatest three engravings: Knight, Death and the Devil (1513), St. Jerome in His Study (1514) and Melencolia I (1514). Such was his fame by then that the Emperor Maximilian commissioned him to create the largest woodcut print ever made before or since: The Triumphal Arch, a piece Emperor Maximilian saw as a celebration of, er, himself and his achievements. So pleased was Maximilian with the result that he granted Dürer a pension which lasted until his death in 1519. Thereafter, Dürer had to travel with his wife to the Netherlands and the court of the Emperor Charles V to have the pension confirmed. He also looked out for new patrons. It was during this trip that he not only met Erasmus but on the return trip caught the mysery illness that would afflict his last seven years.
He became an enthusiastic follower to the strict and austere doctines of Martin Luther. He also wrote theoretical works. By 1520, such was his fame that Raphael wa honoured to exchange drawings with him.
He died at the age of 56, shortly before a book of human proportions by him was published.
Albrecht Dürer ~ Biography II (1471 - 1528)
Graphic artist, painter and theoretician who formed an important link between Northern and Southern European art and who is regarded as the founder of German High Renaissance.
Albrecht Dürer
Young Venetian Woman
As the son of a Nuremberg goldsmith, Dürer had mastered all manner of art and craft techniques at an early age. When he was fifteen, he started a four year apprenticeship with the painter and graphic artist Michael Wolgemut who, at that time, had quite a reputation. He worked in Wolgemut’s atelier on altar paintings, designs for stained-glass artists and woodcuts for illustrations in books.
In 1490, as was tradition, the young artist set out on a long journey. He stayed in Basel for a long time and carried out book illustration assignments and mastered the sophisticated techniques of copper engraving and etching. Four years later he returned home and married Agnes Fey. The marriage, which his father had arranged, was a childless one. He soon left, this time to avoid the plague, and headed for Italy. There he learned to compose, discovered the wonders of perspective and the use of colours by the thriving Italian Renaissance painters. He became a personal friend of the Bellini brothers.
Upon his return to the town of his birth he set up his own atelier and started selling his own engravings and etchings. Entirely in keeping with the Renaissance he was a keen student of science in his capacity of ‘homo universalis’ and wrote theoretical essays on the arts. He moved in circles of progressive humanist scholars and was a leading citizen in the influential free imperial city of Nuremberg. Holy Roman Emperor Maximiliaan enlisted Dürer into his service and paid him a substantial annual allowance.
His last major trip took him to the Netherlands. Upon his return to Nuremberg he painted his most influential portraits and wrote theoretical works on the science of measurement, perspective and proportion. His death in 1528 marked the end of a very productive life during which he was acknowledged as the greatest German artist of his time. Indeed he is now regarded as not only the greatest of all German artists of all time but one of the greatest ever seen ...top of page
Albrecht Dürer ~ Dates of Important Works
Albrecht Dürer ~ Parastone Sculptures Notes
First things first: there are no better artist sculptures/figures than these Parastone figures anywhere. The attention to detail & the 3d effect breathes new life in the work of the masters.
Parastone was originally part of the famous Borzo art dealership which was founded in 1880 and it primarily specialised in restoring religious art. When, alongside the latter activity, an increasing number of sculptures were produced after own designs, it was decided – in 1963 – to found Parastone as an independent company.
For over 50 years now, Parastone has successfully designed decorative sculptures, partly of timeless classic beauty, partly aligned with current trends. The museum images entitled Mouseion constitute an important part of the collection. Alongside exact copies of important works of art, Mouseion also consists of three-dimensional interpretations of paintings and sketches by many artists ranging from Jheronimus Bosch to Salvador Dali.
Parastone is located in ’s-Hertogenbosch, a historic city in the Netherlands and the birthplace of famous Medieval painter Jheronimus Bosch.
Wow, the works coming from where Bosch was from. Where Bosch breathed the same air - knew the same countryside.
Bosch and Parastone: what a magical combination.
Albrecht Dürer ~ Parastone Sculptures
ALBRECHT DURER
Praying Hands of an Apostle
Sculpture
Superb. Adaptation of Durer's famous drawing Praying Hands.
Medium: Collectible quality resin with hand-painted color details, matte and glossy finish
Dimensions: 6 1/4 in. High x 5 1/4 in. Wide x 3 in. Deep
Condition: New in box
Date of Creation: 1990-Now
Origin: Europe
Manufactured by: Parastone Mouseion
Included: Full color card with image of original artwork. Description card about artist and artwork. Both cards are in four languages.
Beautifully rendered and constructed of fine collectible quality resin.
In 1507, Dürer was commissioned by the wealthy merchant, Jacob Heller, to paint a triptych for the altar of the Dominican church in Frankfurt, based on the theme of the ascension of Mary. The ‘Heller altar’ was soon so famous that Elector Maximilian of Bavaria had the central panel added to his own art collection. The panel was lost in a fire in 1729, but well over twenty preliminary sketches have been preserved. Of these, the praying hands of an apostle is the most famous (see original picture)
As of 2014, I found that amazon now stock the Durer Parastone sculpture. As it is impossible to compete with their buying power you will find the sculptures far cheaper than I can do. I have put links to both their US and UK sites below which will take you to their Boccioni sculpture pages.
If I can ever compete with their prices then I will stock them again as I do love these sculptures and they deserve to be owned by as many people as possible. I also miss those conversations with fellow Durer/Parastone admirers who are adding a sculpture or starting a collection. For now it's enough to present them as beautiful as I possibly can.
The Durer sculptures are getting increasingly harder to find even on amazon.
Try: amazon.com (us)
Albrecht Dürer ~ Canvas Prints
ALBRECHT DURER
Hare
Cotton Canvas Print
ALBRECHT DURER
Head of a Walrus
Cotton Canvas Print
ALBRECHT DURER
Tawny Owl
Cotton Canvas Print
Albrecht Dürer ~ Prints
Durer canvas prints @ ebay.com (direct link to his canvas prints)
Albrecht Dürer ~ Links
Albrecht Dürer: Biography I - Biography II - Dates of Important Works - Paintings Gallery - Graphic Gallery
Albrecht Dürer Wares: Vintage Prints - Canvas Prints - Durer Parastone Sculptures Notes - Durer Parastone Sculptures - Advertise here
Albrecht Dürer Links:
Durer canvas prints @ ebay.com (direct link to his canvas prints) - more canvas prints than anywhere else combined and vastly superior in quality to a mere print or poster -
Advertise here -
Albrecht Dürer Books available @ amazon.com
