Albrecht Durer (1471–1528) - the greatest German artist of the late Renaissance, the genius of drawing and engraving, thinker, mathematician, creator and writer. He was the first artist to compile his biography. Its huge heritage is the masterpieces of world painting and graphics, some of them have symbolic meaning. The works of Albrecht Durer in our country are not as famous as the works of his Italian colleagues of that time. Let's try to recall the best paintings, prints and sketches of the great German artist.
The most impressive works of Albrecht Dürer:
1
Apocalypse (1498)
Martyrdom of St. John the Evangelist.
A series of “Apocalypse” of 15 engravings was performed on the theme of the work of the same name by John the Theologian. This is a prophecy about the second coming of Christ, about the end of the world and the fate of all mankind. The relevance of this work was especially felt in an era when church and peasant unrest was tearing Germany apart, various epidemics overwhelmed, including the plague, which wiped out a third of the population of Europe.
John's vision of the seven lamps.
All engravings were executed with the highest craftsmanship and print quality. The first two editions were released in 1498 in German and Latin. During the life of the artist, the collection of prints "Apocalypse" was reprinted several more times. This publication was understandable and accessible to all sectors of society. It narrated about the struggle between good and evil, about the best human qualities that lead to salvation, and base passions that can lead to the death of the soul.
John before God and twenty-four elders.
The 4th engraving of the publication is one of the most famous engravings in the series and is called "Horsemen of the Apocalypse." It depicts four horsemen rushing over the heads of defeated sinners.
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
In the hands of one rider - scales, as a symbol of the Last Judgment. The other rider has a huge punishing sword in his hands. The third shoots from a bow. The very first rider, similar to Death, tramples a representative of the clergy with his horse.
Removal of the fifth and sixth seals.
Four angels restraining the winds, and 144,000 captured.
Adoration of God and the Lamb.
Removing the seventh seal, the first four pipes.
2
Hare (1502)
Dürer adored nature and constantly painted animals and plants literally with photographic accuracy. The most famous naturalistic work is the watercolor “Hare”. This drawing is conventionally called watercolor, as the artist additionally used gouache and white. Dürer was one of the first watercolorists to bring this complex painting technique to perfection.
An ordinary forest hare in a “summer robe” is depicted so realistically that you want to touch his fluffy brown fur coat. Thousands of the thinnest strokes made in various shades create the illusion of real fur. It seems that the hare is sniffing, and his mustache on his face shivers from this.
The drawing of a hare is a real treasure, and because of its fragility and respectable age, it is extremely rare.
3
Large Piece of Meadow (1503)
Dürer was an avid naturalist and enjoyed enormously the environment. In his works there are a lot of botanical and landscape sketches. One of these amazing works is a small sketch depicting a piece of meadow, made with watercolors on a regular sheet of paper.
Stunning technology to the smallest detail conveys the beauty of each stalk, leaf and blade of grass. At the bottom of the picture, large strokes of a soft brush are distinguishable, which indicated the soil on which grass, plantain, and a faded dandelion randomly grow.
Composition, as such, does not exist in the figure. Obviously, Dürer did not pursue the goal of depicting the whole landscape. He studied the structure of plants, their root system (the figure shows how the roots are woven into the soil with transparent threads), how they combine against each other.
This unpretentious watercolor is one of the hallmarks of the great German artist and thinker. By the way, there is a very interesting article on the most beautiful landscapes in the world on most-beauty.ru.
4
Festival of Wreaths of Roses (1506)
Traveling in Italy, Dürer was already a well-known artist and engraver in Germany. But one event brought him world-famous fame. Among the famous artists of the Renaissance, which included, first of all, Italian artists, was a German artist Albrecht Durer.
In Venice, where Dürer settled to study the classics of painting, he received an unexpected order. The guild of German merchants turned to him to paint the altar of their parish church.
This bright, full of life, joyful canvas is dedicated to the festival of beads and symbolizes the unity of all Christians. In the center of the picture depicts the young Virgin Mary with the baby Jesus in her arms. Jesus puts a wreath of red and white roses on the head of Pope Julius II, and the Mother of God - on Maximilian I, emperor of the Holy Roman Empire.
The painting is replete with various characters, angels, parishioners and clergy. In this crowd you can find the artist himself. He portrayed himself near the right edge of the picture, behind the whole crowd. A brilliant young artist holds in his hands a sheet of paper with the name of the painting and his signature.
5
Self-portrait in fur-clad clothes (1507)
This self-portrait of Dürer resembles an icon. At that time, the frontal image of a person was used only in icon painting, therefore, this portrait is very bold and unusual. The viewer is presented with a handsome young man with long wavy hair, outwardly somewhat reminiscent of Christ. His thin sensual fingers are trying to pull off a massive fur cape on his chest. The artist's face is beautiful, and the transparent greenish eyes are filled with universal sadness. The caption on the picture reads:
“This is how I, Albrecht Dürer from Nuremberg, painted myself at the age of 28 with eternal colors”
6
Adam and Eve (1507)
A trip to Italy for Dürer was another step towards world fame. His desire to imitate Italian masters is very clearly reflected in the film "Adam and Eve." The beautifully composed figures of Adam and Eve are endowed with smooth lines, their poses are elegant and natural. The dreamy young faces of men and women do not shine with classical beauty, but more remind ordinary people who surrounded Dürer. The figures are depicted against a dark background, and only a small area of stony ground is a support for them.
7
Hands of a Prayer (1508)
A prayer gesture, hands clasped together - this is one of the most famous and recognizable drawings of Albrecht Dürer, an outstanding master of the late German Renaissance. The quality of the preliminary sketch for working on the central altar of the Dominican monastery indicates the careful preparation of each of its images. As a result of this approach, not only the final large-scale paintings by Dürer, but also the sketches themselves became masterpieces.
Obviously, how important was the anatomical accuracy for Dürer. Dürer painted his hands from life. The left hand in the picture is the artist’s left hand. The right hand is a mirror image of the left.
At first this sheet of paper was larger, and a sketch of the saint’s head was made next to his hands, but then the drawings were divided. Dürer always kept his best practices and used them for other paintings.
Despite the simplicity and graphic nature of the image (the drawing is done on gray and white paint on tinted paper), “Praying Hands” has become the cultural world heritage of all mankind.
8
Knight, Death and the Devil (1513)
Durer's engraving “Knight, Death and the Devil” is one of the three “Workshops of engravings” executed on copper. It is believed that this is an illustration to the treatise of Erasmus of Rotterdam, "The Manual of the Christian Warrior." The knight depicted personifies the strength of spirit, valor and honor of a Christian warrior. This engraving is also full of various other “ciphers,” such as a skull, a dog running next to a horse (a symbol of truth), death with an hourglass, trying to lead a warrior out of the way (mortality of life), and the devil (temptation). In general, the engraving has the meaning of an active life.
9
Saint Jerome in the cell (1514)
Engraving by Albrecht Durer "St. Jerome in the cell" is one of three "workshop engravings". Like other engravings, it is full of symbols and various details. All these details create a whole story about a man who painstakingly works on the translation of the Old Testament. Saint Jerome working in his monastic cell exudes a holy glow. Sleeping lion and dog mean taming of passions and fidelity. The skull on the windowsill and the hourglass remind of the frailty and transience of life. Cardinal hat on the wall - abdication from high church posts.
Subtle strokes very accurately convey the texture of objects. You can consider the natural pattern of wooden beams on the ceiling. The texture of crumpled pillows, stone walls, animal hair are perfectly conveyed through the play of light and shadow. These barely noticeable transitions from light to dark tones were achieved using the finest parallel and cross strokes.
10
Melancholy (1514)
In 1514, Duke Maximilian I received a small engraving from his court artist Dürer, which gained fame as the artist’s most mysterious and magical work. It is believed that the engraving depicts Dürer. Rather, his state of mind. Search, creative torment, disappointment, non-standard thinking inherent in genius - all this is enclosed in a melancholic image.
Behind the sitting pensive figure, similar to both a woman and a man at the same time, a square is filled with numbers from 1 to 16. This is an invention of the artist, the fruit of his mathematical mind. The sum of the numbers both around the perimeter, along the diagonal, along the rows and columns is 34! The sum of the angles is also equal to 34. In addition, the year of creation is encrypted in the bottom line of the square - 1514! This is a symbol of law.
Next to Melancholy is sleeping Cupid. It means that the melancholy alien passions of earthly love. In this engraving there are many different mysterious signs and symbols over which modern scholars still struggle. Most-Beauty also offers you to search for hidden characters in this work! The link you can find this work in high resolution.
11
Rhino (1515)
Dürer, like many creators of that era, was interested in many aspects of life. He was always attracted to various fields of natural science. Once, a friend of Dürer sent him a letter with a description and sketches of outlandish animals that were presented to the Governor of Portuguese India. These were rhinos. Dürer had never seen and previously knew nothing about these animals. Interest in this event was very high. As a result, on the basis of two drawings, Dürer performed an engraving, which almost exactly coincided with the original.
12
Study of a 93-year-old man (1521)
Dürer - an unbeatable schedule. His sketch for the painting "St. Jerome", made by ink on paper, is not easy to masterly. This is a fully finished graphic work, representing the real highest skill. The finest lines left by the pen create an unthinkable network of shades and midtones. The old man's face, rugged with deep wrinkles, is very expressive. Perfectly transferred to the skin of an old man. His thick gray beard curls and curls into graceful rings. Every lighted hair is visible. The head of a dormant old man is supported by his right hand. From this picture, it breathes calm and tiredness from life.
13
Saint Jerome (1521)
The painting "Saint Jerome" was painted in the spring of 1521 and was presented as a gift to a close friend of the artist Rodrigo Fernandez Almada. In kind for a portrait of St. Jerome was served by a 93-year-old man from Antwerp. In the sketch, the old man is depicted with his eyes closed, and in the picture of St. Jerome looks at the world with a wise and penetrating look. His left hand is pointing a finger at the skull. This is a warning that everything will end, and you will have to answer for your actions at the Last Judgment. A crucifix hangs behind the saint, as a symbol of Christianity.
The bright red vestments of the saint look spectacularly on the deep green background of the wall. A fluffy gray beard is prescribed with the finest strokes, and emphasizes the dark skin of an aging face. This wonderful picture is the pinnacle of the artist’s skill.
14
The Four Apostles (1526)
The diptych “The Four Apostles” is the last work of the great Albrecht Dürer. It reflects the aspirations of the artist, the hope for a better future for humanity. The apostles are depicted in pairs: Peter and John, Paul and Mark. Each apostle has his own character. John is active, he is inherent in the character of a sanguine person. Peter is detached and calm, like a phlegmatic. Mark excitedly discusses something with the melancholic Paul. These four characters form the basis of the characters of all people.
Albrecht Dürer wrote this diptych as a personal testament to his contemporaries and their descendants. Her highest humanistic message is the vision of a person as he should be, according to Christian doctrine.
Afterword
Albrecht Durer lived 56 years. During his life, he traveled a lot and created a huge number of perfect drawings and prints. His paintings are of the highest taste and craftsmanship. At the end of his life, he fell ill with malaria, which crippled his health.
Being sick, he consulted with his doctor, depicting his body in the drawing, and noted in it the place where the pain came from. This drawing reveals the inquiring and sharp mind of the artist. The editors of most-beauty asks to write a comment on our article. Write what works of Albrecht Dürer impressed you most.