Nuremberg and the masterworks (1507–1520) Albrecht Dürer

adam , eve {1504}



adam , eve (1507)

despite regard in held venetians, dürer returned nuremberg mid-1507, remaining in germany until 1520. reputation had spread throughout europe , on friendly terms , in communication of major artists including raphael, giovanni bellini and—mainly through lorenzo di credi—leonardo da vinci.

between 1507 , 1511 dürer worked on of celebrated paintings: adam , eve (1507), martyrdom of ten thousand (1508, frederick of saxony), virgin iris (1508), altarpiece assumption of virgin (1509, jacob heller of frankfurt), , adoration of trinity (1511, matthaeus landauer). during period completed 2 woodcut series, great passion , life of virgin, both published in 1511 second edition of apocalypse series. post-venetian woodcuts show dürer s development of chiaroscuro modelling effects, creating mid-tone throughout print highlights , shadows can contrasted.

other works period include thirty-seven woodcut subjects of little passion, published first in 1511, , set of fifteen small engravings on same theme in 1512. indeed, complaining painting did not make enough money justify time spent when compared prints, produced no paintings 1513 1516. however, in 1513 , 1514 dürer created 3 famous engravings: knight, death, , devil (1513, based on erasmus s treatise enchiridion militis christiani), st. jerome in study, , much-debated melencolia (both 1514). further outstanding pen , ink drawings of dürer´s period of art work of 1513 drafts friend willibald prickheimer. these drafts later used design famous chandeliers lusterweibchen.

in 1515, created woodcut of rhinoceros had arrived in lisbon written description , sketch artist, without ever seeing animal himself. image of indian rhinoceros, image has such force remains 1 of best-known , still used in german school science text-books late last century. in years leading 1520 produced wide range of works, including woodblocks first western printed star charts in 1515 , portraits in tempera on linen in 1516.

patronage of maximilian i

portrait of maximilian i

from 1512, maximilian became dürer s major patron. commissions included triumphal arch, vast work printed 192 separate blocks, symbolism of partly informed pirckheimer s translation of horapollo s hieroglyphica. design program , explanations devised johannes stabius, architectural design master builder , court-painter jörg kölderer , woodcutting hieronymous andreae, dürer designer-in-chief. arch followed triumphal procession, program of worked out in 1512 marx treitz-saurwein , includes woodcuts albrecht altdorfer , hans springinklee, dürer.

dürer worked pen on marginal images edition of emperor s printed prayer-book; these quite unknown until facsimiles published in 1808 part of first book published in lithography. dürer s work on book halted unknown reason, , decoration continued artists including lucas cranach elder , hans baldung. dürer made several portraits of emperor, including 1 shortly before maximilian s death in 1519.