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ABOUT THE ARTIST
Albrecht Dürer stands as one of the true masters in the pantheon of Western art, yet he is not a household name like the quintessential Renaissance men Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo Buonarroti. Like Leonardo and Michelangelo, Dürer became famous during his lifetime for his work as an artist, and his legacy and influence continue to this day.
Dürer was born in Nuremberg Germany, to an artistic family: his father was a goldsmith; his godfather a printmaker. He showed talent early on; his self-portrait made during his 13th year is considered the very first of this genre. At 23, he made his first trip to Italy and was exposed to the artistic and humanist ideals of the Italian Renaissance. He began to fill up sketchbooks with images of his travels, with an emphasis on the natural world. "Dürer's keen interest in nature ... was a typical manifestation of the Renaissance." (getty.edu)
He returned to Germany with a strong interest in...