ALBRECHT DÜRER

The son of a goldsmith, Dürer was born in Nuremberg on 21 May 1471 and trained as a painter/draughtsman in Michael Wolgemut's studio. At the end of his apprenticeship, he went on a trip to the upper Rhine to meet the famous Martin Schongauer, who, however, died before Dürer was able to meet him. In 1494, he travelled to Italy, where he received a new impetus for his work and in this way influenced German painting. Returning in 1495, he settled in Nuremberg, with his own workshop, and travelled to Italy again regularly between 1505 and 1507. In the following years, Dürer became so well known that he received numerous commissions for Emperor Maximilian I. On 6 April 1528, he died at his home in Nuremberg.

The attention to detail and subtlety of his drawings characterise Dürer's works. His drawings were taken as examples not only in Germany, but almost throughout Europe by different generations of art.

© Hardy Schulz, Hamburg