Meet Albrecht Dürer

Read About the Artist Albrecht Dürer

Albrecht Dürer grew up in Nuremberg, Germany, where he first learned to draw, paint, work with gold, and carve wood. In his early twenties, he travelled to Venice, Italy. This trip inspired him to study art, math, geometry (the study of shapes), Latin (an old language), and literature.

Dürer was celebrated as a painter, draftsman, printmaker, and writer. People came to love his work because of the powerful images, his amazing drawing skills, and the complex symbols he used. After visiting Italy again from 1505 to 1507, Dürer started using ideas from the Italian Renaissance in his art. His artworks included many different subjects, such as hands, fabric, clothing, people, characters from the Bible, and detailed watercolor paintings of plants and animals. Dürer was the first artist in Northern Europe to combine art with the careful observation of the natural world.

Even though Dürer had a large workshop with many people working for him, he didn’t have any students who continued his exact style after he died. However, his prints were small and easy to carry around, which helped spread his artistic influence across Europe even after his death.

Questions

Write or discuss your responses.

• How did Dürer’s travels to Italy influence his work?
• How did Dürer’s influence spread across Europe even though he had no students who continued his exact style?

Someone who is skilled at making detailed drawings.

An exciting and creative time in Europe a long time ago, from the 1300s to the 1600s. People were making great art, learning new things, and exploring all sorts of ideas.