Albrecht Durer: A Biography

From Publishers Weekly Political reactionary, leftist sympathizer, Renaissance polymath, man of action, xenophobe, paragon of virtue--German artist Albrecht Durer (1471-1528) has inspired contradictory images, allowing various political and aesthetic factions to place him within their heritage. In this stolid, workmanlike biography, University of Wisconsin art historian Hutchison dispels all manner of misconceptions surrounding Durer; for example, the "pseudo-issue" of whether he was Catholic or Protestant (he was sympathetic to Luther's views but was in no formal sense a Protestant). Instead of the conventionally perceived dour melancholic, Hutchison limns a humanist intellectual who exchanged burlesque poetry with Reformation leader Lazarus Spengler, and an artist anxious over eyesight that began to fail in his late 40s. Reproductions of paintings, woodcuts, engravings and sketches help us appreciate anew Durer's astonishing powers of observation. Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. From Library Journal This fascinating biography illuminates the life of one of the world's true artistic geniuses. Drawing on the artist's personal journals, diaries, and letters, and Agnes Durer's will, Hutchison documents Durer's international popularity and interaction with the royal, political, and religious leaders of a turbulent pre-Reformation Europe. The text follows the talented young artist from his childhood and apprenticeship as both a goldsmith and painter in Nuremberg to being a well-traveled journeyman, printmaker, publisher, author, and painter. It closes with a description of the artistic and social impact Durer had on the Northern Renaissance and future artists, including his relationship to both Catholic and Lutheran issues of the Reformation. Highly recommended.