Albrecht Dürer and His Legacy: The Graphic Work of a Renaissance Artist

British Museum Occasional Papers #130

by Giulia Bartrum, Günter Grass (Contributor), Joseph L. Koerner (Contributor)

Albrecht Dürer is the most significant and admired artist of the northern Renaissance. Tracing his work and influence from his earliest career to his powerful posthumous role within German culture, this richly illustrated book surveys all of the artist's best-known prints as well as numerous drawings and watercolors.


The catalogue of a greatly anticipated exhibition of Dürer's work in England--including loans of many precious works rarely seen by the public--the volume features 85 color and 267 black-and-white illustrations. It follows Dürer's career from his first work in the medieval tradition of Martin Schongauer, through his Italian education in the classical tradition, to his sophisticated development of the woodcut and engraving techniques that changed the history of printmaking. The book examines Dürer's long-lived influence, from the obsession of artists and collectors with his work during the late sixteenth century to the iconic status he acquired amid the rise of German nationalism in the nineteenth. It considers how the popularity of his images migrated into a range of materials as diverse as porcelain and banknotes. This assessment of his art and legacy concludes with a contemplation of Dürers famous print, Melancholia, written by the Nobel Prize-winning German novelist Günter Grass, himself a printmaker.


Offering a much-needed fresh look at the work of a major Renaissance artist, this handsome book is certain to deepen the broad international appreciation that Dürer's work already enjoys.



EXHIBITION SCHEDULE
?



The British Museum

December 5, 2002 - March 23, 2003

?

Genres: Art, Nonfiction

320 pages, Hardcover

First published December 1, 2002

Reviews

[Carl Waluconis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a stunning collection with close to 300 excellent reproductions, with many in color, though color is not always needed.. You could spend a lot of time with this book, and in fact I did. Although it does review his life and some interpretation, the main theme is the influence and effects he had. The images populate our world after 500 years. The jarring symbolism, at times like a dream, but also representational, once seen cannot be forgotten. At times I wanted more analysis and interpretation, but I suppose you can find that elsewhere. The text is often tracing the piece's history in terms of where and when it had its influence, and also the years of its creation. In addition, there are works that were influenced by Durer. The mystery in some of the works will probably never be unraveled. "Knight, Death, and the Devil" does have interpretations from different time period. I wanted more about Durer's Last Supper where he did not use DaVinci's seemingly permanent look at the Biblical event. The complicated "Witch Riding Backward on a Goat" is one of only two depictions of witches, which was apparently an obsession in his time. Then there is the straight forward "Praying Hands" and "Hare". I kept turning pages backward and forward. However, it is the mad stare of "Melancholia" that kept calling me back. This comparatively chaotic piece seems like it was drawn for now. Most likely, it has always seemed that way. Well, one could go on with so many of the works here - it took me years to make my way through the volume - and I always felt satisfied.

[Elizabeth Scott Tervo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting and sometimes weird.