Dürer returned to Italy between 1505 and 1507 staying mostly in Venice. On his return to Germany, he produced many of his greatest works. These include his diptych (two pictures that go together) of Adam and Eve (1507) and his engravings onto copperplate, such as Knight, Death and Devil (1513). These works show the influence of the Renaissance on Dürer and his immense skill.
Dürer continued to travel. In 1518, he went to Augsburg where he met with leading thinkers like Martin Luther, Philipp Melanchthon (see Chapter 7: The Reformation) and Erasmus.
He died in 1528 and is considered to be one of the greatest artists of the Renaissance. Vasari described him as a ‘truly great painter and creator of the most beautiful copper engravings’.
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✣ By the way
Dürer’s epitaph states: ‘Whatever was mortal in Albrecht Dürer lies beneath this mound’. What do you think is meant by that?
Fig 5.16 Knight, Death and Devil by Dürer. Engravings and woodcuts were created by sketching on to a copper plate (engraving) or a piece of wood (woodcuts). This was then dipped in ink and numerous copies made.
RECALL 1. From which German city was Albrecht Dürer? 2. What methods of drawing was Dürer particularly famous for? 3. For whom did Dürer work in his later years? 4. Describe one piece of work by Dürer. 5. Name another painter from the Northern Renaissance and list one of their paintings.
Mentor Digital Resources For more information on artists outside italy, go to mentorbooks.ie/resources