Albrecht Durer (1471-1528) Self-portrait Oil on wood 20 x16”

Renaissance in GermanyIn the early 16th century German art moved to the forefront of northern Europe culture. There were artists of great originality, imagination and

strong individual character.

Albrecht Durer (1471-1528)Lucas Cranach (1472-1553)

Matthias Grunewald (1480-1528)Hans Holbein (1497-1543)

Albrecht Durer (1471-1528)Self-portraitOil on wood

20 x16”Durer was the leading artist

of German society. Fascinated by Classical

ideas, he had travelled to Italy to broaden his

knowledge. He was a strong believer in close observation of nature, and allied himself to the scientific studies of Leonardo da Vinci. Durer’s artwork is highly detailed and is distinguished by a

use of precise line.

Albrecht Durer (1471-1528)

“Young Hare”Watercoloron Paper10 x 9”1502

Albrecht Durer

(1471-1528)Self-portraitOil on wood


“Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse” 10 x 8”

Woodcut print on paperDurer was one of the first

artists in the Western world to use woodcut as a major art medium. His style was

precise, and highly detailed, requiring great technical

skill.

In 1498 he finished a series of 15 woodcuts illustrating

events from the Apocalypse section of the Bible. Most

printmakers use single lines; Durer massed fine lines

together to produce gray-value areas which imply

spatial depth.


Christ Descendingthe Cross

Woodcut Print on Paper

Melancholia I (1514) by German Renaissance artist Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528) is a large print full of complex symbolism. One of the four bodily humors in medieval thought, melancholy was associated with insanity as well as artistic prowess. In Dürer's work on paper, instruments of geometry, an exacting branch of mathematics in which the artist excelled, surround a downtrodden winged personification of the humor, perhaps a visual reference by the master to his own inability to realize perfection in design.


“The Four Apostles”

Oil on woodeach 85 x 30”

1526 This was painted

towards the end of Durer’s life. He

donated the two panels to the city of Nuremberg, to be hung in city hall.

Albrecht Durer

(1471-1528)Oil on wood

Albrecht Durer


Albrecht Durer


Albrecht Durer

(1471-1528)Self-portraitOil on wood

Lucas Cranach (1472-1553)

“The Judgement of Paris”

Oil on woodCranach painted many nudes of

Adam, Eve, and various gods from ancient mythology.

However, he painted them as German folk posed in rugged

outdoor settings rather than as Classic figures of Greek and

Roman times.

The light is not consistent: the landscape in this picture was

rendered with natural light, but the human figures are

illuminated by artificial, theatrical lighting unrelated to the fading sun in the distance.

Their strange anatomy is Mannerist, not realistic.


“The Judgement of Paris”

Oil on wood

Lucas Cranach (1472-1553)“Adam and

Eve”Oil on wood

Lucas Cranach

(1472-1553)“Salome”

Oil on wood


“Christ Crowned with Thorns”

Oil on panel, 1510AA After the whipping ordered by the

Roman governor Pilate, soldiers mocked Jesus because of his nickname 'King of the Jews'. He was stripped naked and

then dressed in a purple gown. They put a crown made out of thorn branches on

his head. According to the Gospel of John, this is how Jesus was presented to

the people ("Behold the man!").

Lucas Cranach shows the face of a suffering man who has accepted his fate. A few lines of blood show that the thorns

stuck deep into the skin.

Lucas Cranach (1472-1553) “Genesis- The Garden of God”Oil on wood Although this painting is filled with fine detail, it is not rendered in a realistic manner; objects are stylized and the

light is not naturalistic.

Matthias Grunewald (1480-1528)This artist was highly original, expressive and unique. His emotionally charged artwork was largely forgotten

until modern times. Grunewald worked on church commissions and as court painter in Germany.

Matthias Grunewald (1480-1528) Isenheim Altarpiece (closed)

Oil on wood 8’ x 10’ The altar is composed of a carved wooden shrine with two pairs of movable panels, one directly behind the

other. The panels show various scenes in the life of Jesus...

Matthias Grunewald (1480-1528) Isenheim Altarpiece (closed)

Oil on wood 8’ x 10’ This crucifixion scene shows intense suffering and anguish. Christ has been tortured and his body is straining in agony; his

fingers are particularly expressive.

Matthias Grunewald (1480-1528) Isenheim Altarpiece (open)

When the outer wings are opened the mood changes dramatically from disaster to triumph. The three scenes—the Annunciation, the Angel

Concert and the Resurrection celebrate jubilant events in the story of Jesus Christ.

Matthias Grunewald (1480-1528)

Isenheim Altarpiecedetail (open)

Oil on wood 1510-1515

Christ, in a blazing circle of light so intense that it

dissolves his form, rises from the grave like a great

flame in the starlit heavens. Notice the

effective use of dramatically contrasting values of dark and light.

The light is not naturalistic, and the forms suggest a

flowing motion.


Isenheim Altarpiece

detail (open)Oil on wood 1510-1515

The artist’s colors are richly iridescent, and the figures seem to

glow.


Isenheim Altarpiece

The Temptation of St. AnthonyOil on wood 1510-1515

Although the artist was in sympathy with the Christian reforms of Martin

Luther, who frowned upon

religious images as “idolatrous,” he

depended on Catholic patronage.

Matthia Grunewald (1480-1528)

“Meeting of St. Erasmus

and St. Maurice”Oil on wood 1517-1523

Hans Holbein (1497-1543)

Self-portrait, oil on woodHolbein was a great

portrait painter. He was born in Germany, spent time in Switzerland, and became court painter to England’s Henry VIII in

the mid-1520s. He painted many portraits

of royalty and important citizens.


“Sir Thomas More”

Oil on wood30 x 24” 1527

The portrait of this author and statesman includes a remarkable rendering of fur, velvet

and jewelry. The modeling of the facial features is very exact.


“Sir Thomas More” Oil on wood

30 x 24” 1527 The modeling of the facial features is very exact, including such

details as beard stubble and flesh wrinkles. Sir

Thomas More, a determined and uncompromising

individual, eventually clashed with King Henry VIII and was beheaded.


“Henry VIII” Oil on wood

This portrait uses a rigid frontality, showing the king’s powerful physical presence and suggesting his ruthless command.

All the details are rendered with great clarity and precision.


“The Ambassadors” Oil on wood 6’8”x 6’10”

The array of objects in this picture are a catalog of the two

men’s interests; eye glass, lute, celestial globe, Lutheran hymnbook, compasses, flutes, sundial and books. This can be

seen in detail on the next slide...

The most astounding feature is the shape that seems to grow

out of the lower left hand corner of the foreground.

When viewed from below and the side, it appears to be a human skull. Perhaps the

painting was intended to hang over a doorway so when

viewers looked up they saw a skull — a frightening reminder of

human mortality.


“The Ambassadors”

Oil on wood 6’8”x 6’10” Detail:

The array of objects in this picture are a

catalog of the two men’s interests; eye glass, lute, celestial globe, Lutheran hymnbook, compasses, flutes, sundial and books.

Hans Holbein (1497-1543)“Christina of Denmark” Oil on wood

70 x 32”

In later works Holbein embraced greater

pictorial simplicity. Here he kept the focus on the

portrait subject, eliminating distracting

props. Nevertheless, the figure is rendered with

great detail and precision.

Hans Holbein (1497-1543)“Lady with a Squirrel”

Oil on wood

Hans Holbein (1497-1543)Portrait of Erasmus

Oil on wood


Dance of Death Woodcuts


Dance of Death

Woodcut


Dance of Death Woodcut


Portrait of a man

Oil on wood

Hans Holbein (1497-1543)Drawing of a

woman


Drawing of the Queen

Hans Holbein (1497-1543)Portrait of a

woman Oil on wood

Documents

Albrecht Durer (1471-1528) Self-portrait Oil on wood 20 x16”