Albrecht Dürer
Artist (1471–1528)
Albrecht Dürer was the son of a Goldsmith who was an accomplished artist in his own right. The father was born in Hungary to the name Ajtos, or door, which was changed to Türer from the German tür, or door, and was eventually rendered Dürer. The younger Dürer soon learned to make woodcuts and engravings, showing a high degree of skill in all he did, including a self-portrait at 13. From the age of 18, he spent four years travelling abroad through Germany, Switzerland, The Netherlands and Italy, meeting artists, absorbing influences and adding new elements to his work. Besides his own well-known self-portrait in oil at 28, he made many other famous works, including Melancholia I, The Praying Hands, and St. Jerome in His Study (the engraving but also a woodcut 22 years earlier)—as well as the Knight, Death and the Devil which is featured here at Fantastic Horror. |
