Albrecht Dürer (1471?1528), a major artist of the northern Renaissance and celebrity both during his own lifetime and since, was praised by his contemporaries and described shortly after his death as ’the prince among German painters’. Dürer’s achievements as a painter were matched by his remarkable manipulation of the traditional techniques of woodcut and engraving, which altered the history of printmaking and ensured that his works were admired and collected throughout Europe. The British Museum holds one of the finest collections of Dürer’s graphic art in the world, with superlative prints and drawings from all phases of his career. Beginning with an introduction to the life of the artist, the book presents a selection of Dürer’s best-known works including famous prints such as Adam and Eve, Rhinoceros and Melancholia. As well as demonstrating Dürer’s astonishing range of subject matter, the book explores his working method and the versatile, spontaneous nature of his draughtsmanship.
