Albrecht Durer
By: Stoughton Bell
Biography
-spent most of his time in Bavaria but he traveled to Venice
-He apprenticed at a local painter and designer of woodcut book illustrations
-created works for Anton Koberger, Durer's godfather
-visited noble artists and publishers
-created some water color works in Venice
-Albrecht Dürer was one of the two or three most influential artists of the western world
-his father was a goldsmith
-Albrecht Durer married Agnes Frey
-born into a family known for business, arts and scholarship
-may have attended Latin School of St. Sebald or Lateinschule of St. Lorenz
-He was an engraver but he also made sculptures, water color paintings and was a woodcutter
-some of his works include the Salvator Mundi, Virgin and Child with Angels, Martyrdom of the Ten Thousand Christians
-Probably his most important patron was Wolgemut, he was the person that Durer apprenticed for and Durer spent most of his time with him and so Wolgemut taught him nearly everything Durer knows now
-another important patron of his was of course his wife Agnes Frey
-Willibald Pirkheimer was a humanist friend
-Albrecht Durer's works can represent Secularism because of the nature that is presented in his works
-His works can also represent Idealism because of the vast techniques of painting and sculpting he did
Virgin and the Child with Angels
-It was created in 1515
-You could see this piece in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, NY
-This significant of a piece was made from oil and wood, I wonder how Albrecht could make such a piece with just those two materials, this work also exemplifies religion which is significant to everyone and to the church
This piece shows a lot of nature because of the landscape with mountains, trees and grass. There is a lady holding a baby and some angels singing behind them. What I find interesting about this piece is that when you compare the size of the lady and the building she looks like she could be as tall as the building if she stood up. In the sky there seems to be an image of two people holding hands.
-Some "isms" that relate to this piece are Naturalism, Perspectivism, and Classicism. This work of art shows a lot of nature in it because of the mountains, the sky, trees, and grass. It also shows Perspectivism because of the 3D buildings and figures. Albrecht had to use a vanishing point in order to design the building correctly on this piece. Lastly, this art shows Classicism because of the angels and the people in the sky representing religion.
-I find this piece so interesting because it has a lot of aspects to it and there is a lot to look at.
Look at a picture and some information on it at https://www.artsy.net/artwork/albrecht-durer-the-virgin-and-child-crowned-by-two-angels-b-39-m-dot-holl-38-sms-84
Works Cited
"Albrecht Dürer." International Dictionary of Art and Artists. Gale, 1990. Biography in Context.
Web. 1 Dec. 2015.
Albrecht Durer. Virgin and the Child with Angels. 1515. Oil on wood. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY.
Albrecht Durer. Martyrdom of the Ten Thousand Christians. 1508. Oil on Wood transferred to canvas. Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien.