Durer in Detail

Albrecht Durer (1471-1528) is one of the most important and influential artists of the Northern Renaissance. He was a painter, printmaker and theorist and knew the major Italian artists of his time, such as Raphael, Bellini and Leonardo da Vinci. His enormous talent and skills as a draughtsman were manifested at a very young age: they can already be seen in the silverpoint Self-Portrait made in 1484 when he was barely thirteen years old. Patronised from 1512 by the Emperor Maximilian I, Durer realized numerous engravings, altarpieces, portrait and self-portraits, watercolours and books. His introduction of classical motifs into Northern art, through his knowledge of Italian artists and German humanists, secured his reputation as the most important figure of German Renaissance.

Durer in Detail reveals the work of the German master as never before, in breathtaking, full-page details. Till-Holger Borchert, German art historian and director of the Bruges Museums, describes Durer’s paintings, drawings and graphic masterpieces detail by detail, while offering original insights in clear and accessible language. The book is organised thematically and includes a biography, an annotated list of works and a suggested reading list.