Saturday, June 14, 2014

Paintings Of Durer

By Darren Hartley


Echoes of Italian art are apparent in most of Durer paintings, drawings and graphics. Italian influences were slower to show in his graphics than in his drawings and paintings. Albrecht Durer was the central figure in the German Renaissance and one of the most outstanding personalities in the history of art.

The fame of Durer paintings was broadcasted through engravings, and Italian artists started drawing on them for ideas. Albrecht left his native city for a 4 year period, presumably to visit Cologne and the Netherlands. His travels took him to Italy twice, in 1494-95 and 1505-07, visiting Venice and Bologne, and most probably, Florence and Rome.

Durer paintings were also known for their portraits, which were frequently commissioned from him. Among the best works from this lot are Portrait of Durer's Father at 70, Portrait of Oswolt Krel, Portrait of Bernard von Reesen and Portrait of Hieronymus Holzschuher.

It was in 1495 that Albrecht established his own workshop in Nuremberg. Durer paintings consisted of a lot of watercolour landscapes and nature studies throughout Albrecht's life. Most notable of these landscapes are Saint John's Church, House by a Pond, Willow Mill, A Young Hare and The Large Turf.

Other than his Durer paintings, Albrecht also wrote and published theoretical works such as Manual of Measurement and Various Instructions for the Fortification of Towns, Castles and other Localities. These manuscripts were written in 1525 and 1527, respectively.

Durer paintings consisted of magnificent altarpieces and powerful portraits. Albrecht's drawings and watercolours are impressive for their diversity in subject matter and for the variety of media in which they were produced. Albrecht truly had a major influence on the development of European art.




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