During his lifetime, Durer found tremendous success as a printmaker and painter, taking commissions from prominent figures such as Frederick the Wise, for whom Durer produced the masterpiece Adoration of the Magi, and Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I. While Durer's paintings and prints are highly lauded, his drawings and studies are equally important . Featured in this book are Durer's drawings from the Albertina Museum's preeminent collection. The Albertina Museum houses the world's most important collection of drawings by Durer which include family portraits, studies of animals and plants, and studies of the human body. Influenced by his contacts to Italy and by his humanist friends he showed a strong interest in human proportions, anatomy, and perspective. This book showcases more than 100 of Durer's drawings including Hare, Self Portrait at the Age of 13, and Melencolia I, accompanied by paintings and prints. Featuring scholarly essays and beautifully reproduced works, this book shows the importance of Durer's drawings in his oeuvre and how he helped drawing become an appreciated medium in its own right.
