Frederick the Wise, Elector of Saxony, Albrecht Dürer
Frederick the Wise, Elector of Saxony, Albrecht Dürer

Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528)

Considered the finest German Renaissance artist, Albrecht Dürer was a painter, printmaker, draughtsman and art theorist. Artists across Europe admired and copied Dürer’s innovative and powerful prints, ranging from religious and mythological scenes to maps and exotic animals.

Dürer was exceptionally learned, and the only Northern artist who fully absorbed the sophisticated Italian dialogue between scientific theory and art, producing his own treatise on proportion in 1528.

I have been fortunate enough to see some of Dürer’s prints in person. The detail and lines are superb. I respond to his excellent technique and his ability to portray emotion and drama. I am influenced by his use of high contrast, keen observation, narrative quality and attention to texture and detail. In addition to his portraits, I love his studies of hands (shown below).

Knight, Death, and the Devil, Albrecht Dürer
Knight, Death, and the Devil, Albrecht Dürer
Dürer's Mother, Albrecht Dürer
Dürer’s Mother, Albrecht Dürer
Praying Hands, Albrecht Dürer
Praying Hands, Albrecht Dürer
Hands, Albrecht Dürer
Hands, Albrecht Dürer
Hand Study with Bible, Albrecht Dürer
Hand Study with Bible, Albrecht Dürer

6 thoughts on “My Inspiration V: Albrecht Dürer

  1. very nice. i love your shading style. only thing is your intermediate phalanges are too long (miss proportioned.) it's very apparent on your praying hands. overall very beautiful work.

  2. I'll be sure to let Mr. Durer know the next time I see him. 🙂 I'll keep your advice in mind the next time I'm rendering intermediate phalanges. Though the wonderful thing about art is being able to create a beautiful and meaningful piece even if your proportions aren't exact. Thanks for the comment.

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