Painter and printmaker Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528) is generally regarded as the greatest German Renaissance artist. In his lifetime he produced a vast body of work, including altarpieces, religious works and portraits. His serial woodcuts of the Apocalypse (1498) and The Life of the Virgin (c.1500-10), are amongst his finest achievements as a draughtsman.

 

Presented in 1891 by Louisa Dudgeon, the prints in this exhibition demonstrate a richness of detail, from plants, animals and mythological creatures to deeply expressive religious figures, opening a window into the mind of a gifted and visionary artist.

 

Simon Lake, Senior Curator of Art said, ‘Dürer's skill as an artist, and his sheer visual inventiveness stunned the audiences of his day. This exhibition is a chance to see a selection of his fabulous prints, bringing to life the Bible stories, strange creatures and a host of fantastic characters both from real-life and a colourful imagination.’

 

Albrecht Dürer was born in the Imperial free city of Nuremberg (Germany) on 21^st May 1471, to a family of Hungarian goldsmiths. Initially apprenticed to his father, Dürer spent all his life in Nuremberg, only making three long journeys: in 1494 and in 1505-07 to Italy, and from 1520-21 to Antwerp and the Netherlands.

 

Although trained in surroundings strongly influenced by the German gothic tradition, Dürer absorbed key concepts of the Italian Renaissance during his visits to Italy, particularly the sophisticated link between scientific theory and art, encountering Mantegna, Bellini and the art of the Venetian School.

 

His enormous output consists of woodcuts and engravings, paintings and drawings, and he also wrote treatises on fortification (1527), also proportion and artistic theory (1528). He was the principal channel through which Italian Renaissance ideas were introduced to the North, and his greatest legacy is his supreme mastery of woodcut printing and copper engraving, numerous examples of which survive today in public and private collections.

 

Dürer’s main serial woodcuts were the Apocalypse (1498), the Great Passion (1498-1510), and the Life of the Virgin (1501-11). Single plates included the Sea Monster (1497), Knight, Death and the Devil (1513), Melancholia (1514), and the Rhinoceros (1515). The Apocalypse was the first book to be the entire work of an artist: Dürer was designer, printer and publisher.

 

His works combine expressive, realistic detail and great technical skill alongside complex multi-layered symbolism, which retains a powerful impact for contemporary audiences.