Saturday, June 14, 2014

Durer Paintings

By Darren Hartley


The best known Durer paintings were 18 engravings of the Apocalypse cycle, the most interesting of which was The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, done in 1498. Albrecht Durer's early training was in drawing, woodcutting and printing, which remained his main and favourite media throughout his artistic career.

One of the 1496 versatile Durer paintings was a portrait of Frederick the Wise, the Elector of Saxony at the time, who became one of Albrecht's patrons. Albrecht started as an apprentice in the workshop of Michael Wolgemut, a Nuremberg artist between 1486 through 1489. Travelling became a passion starting in 1490.

The wealthy Nuremberg citizens were among the other patrons of Durer paintings, consisting of religious works. Among the pieces commissioned by these patrons included Lot Fleeing with His Daughters from Sodom, The Paumgartner Altarpiece, Lamentation for Christ and The Adoration of the Holy Trinity. These commissions were completed between 1498 and 1511.

Several self-portraits comprised Durer paintings. They gave the greatest insight into the Albrecht's character and beliefs. Among these self-portraits are Self-Portrait at 22, Self-Portrait at 26 and Self-Portrait at 28. They were respectively completed in 1493, 1498 and 1500. It was in Venice that he knew and admired above all else, the aged Giovanni Bellini, an old Italian master.

Durer paintings consisting of three engravings in 1513-1514 comprised Albrecht's greatest achievement in printmaking. These masterpieces were Knight, Death and the Devil, St. Jerome in His Study and Melencolia I. Albrecht worked for Emperor Maximilian after completing these engravings. In celebration of the Emperor's achievements, he was commissioned to design a huge print entitled The Triumphal Arch.

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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