Albrecht Durer

6 Pages 1534 Words

One artist that sits on a higher pedestal than many is Albrecht Durer. Recognized as the most famous artist of the Reformation period, he was brilliantly talented in many areas, Watercolor, Woodcuts and engraving to name a few. Albrecht Durer’s contribution to the Art world intrigues and fascinates us until this day.
Durer was born in 1471 in Nuremburg, Germany. His father was a respected goldsmith and filled the office of “official assayer of precious metals”. (Hutchison 20)
Recognized for his honesty and reputation he received many prestigious commendations. Durer the Elder, the skillful goldsmith, can be considered Durer’s first art instructor. At the young age of ten Durer the Elder taught his son the goldsmith’s technique. Many believed that the skillful handling of the engraver’s burin (a pointed steel cutting tool used by engravers) was the origin for his distinctive style, which rendered him a gifted artist with an eye for detail.
The creation of Durer’s renowned self-portrait, developed while looking into a mirror at the young age of thirteen, was his first known contribution to the art world. Because of the portrait, his father recognized his young son’s natural ability for drawing. The portrait created in the Silverpoint technique, which reached its peak during the Renaissance period. This technique requires a soft, meticulous touch that generates a drawing with extremely fine lines. With the creation of a Silverpoint, a stylus with a metal form wire of, silver, copper, bronze or gold on a prepared “ground” surface is required. During the 15th century, the “ground” most likely consisted of white lead, ground bone combined with a glue size and tinted with pigment. The minute deposit of metal left on the “ground” produces a fine gray line by means of a chemical reaction on the primed surface. After oxidation, the resulting characteristic is a soft brown shade visible in the fine lines,...