Albrecht Durer (1471-1528); German painter, printmaker and theorist;
Northern Renaissance ~
Activities and questions aren't necessary for your children's enjoyment
of the artwork. Remember: the main goal of Art Study (Art Appreciation)
is that your children have opportunity to view different pieces of art
(thus learning to recognize works by specific artists) -- and that they
enjoy the experience. :-)
Self-Portrait at Twenty-Eight Years Old Wearing a Coat with Fur Collar,
Note/Activity: Dürer is posing in a way very similar to portraits of
a specific religious person. Who is this person? (Jesus Christ)
Why do you think Dürer painted himself like this? (He wanted to symbolise his statement of faith: Christ was the Son of God, and God had created Man. Artistic skills are a God-given talent.)
Why was he dressed like this? (Dürer's fashionable long, curled
hair and expensive fur-lined mantle shows that he has become a
successful, well-known artist.)
There is writing on the painting; what language is it in? (Latin,
the common language of the Renaissance.)
What do you think the writing on the painting says? (Translated: 'Thus I, Albrecht Dürer from Nuremberg, painted myself with indelible colours at the age of 28 years.')
What does 'indelible' mean? (Permanent; won't fade) ~KG
Field Hare (or A Young Hare), 1502, watercolour and gouache on paper; Note: Dürer carefully observed, then drew or painted from both living and preserved creatures. It is for the craftsmanship exemplified in this specific painting that Albrecht Dürer is considered "the father of watercolour painting".
Activity: Using watercolours, paint a picture of a living creature or plant, or a piece of one (i.e., feather, flower).
Feast of the Rose Garlands, c. 1506, oil on poplar wood panel;
ALTARPIECE for the Church of San Bartolomeo, Venice; Národní Galerie,
Detail of right-hand side: http://www.wga.hu/html/d/durer/1/05/03rose2.html
Note: Dürer was hired to paint this altarpiece for the German population who attended the Church of San Bartolomeo in Venice.
Activity: What is an altarpiece? (A piece of artwork -- either painted or carved -- that is place either above or behind a church altar. An altar is a raised platform from which the religious service is given by a Catholic priest or Protestant clergy. Also, an altar may be the table where the implements for Holy Communion are displayed.)
Can you find the artist's self-portrait? (He is the man with long
hair wearing red, standing in front of the tree on the right-hand side
of the painting.) ~KG
Praying Hands (or, Study of Hands of the Apostle), c.1508, PEN AND INK
drawing with white gouache on blue paper
He created this and other drawings while preparing to create the (now destroyed) altarpiece commissioned by Jakob Heller, a Frankfurt merchant and councilman.
Activity: What is a 'study'? (A practise drawing created by making
careful observations. A 'study' is more detailed than a quick sketch.)
Why would Albrecht Dürer make study drawings? (To focus on specific parts and practise drawing it until it was just the way he wanted it to be.) ~KG
The Four Riders/Horsemen of the Apocalypse, 1497-1498, fourth of fifteen
WOODCUTS in the series "The Apocalypse in Pictures"
Activity: Dürer based his drawing chapter six in The Revelation of
St. John. Read the pertinent verses, Revelation 6:1-8.
What opened seal does each of the horsemen represent? (1st Seal:
'Conqueror' holding a bow. 2nd Seal: 'War' with a sword. 3rd Seal:
'Famine' with weigh scales. 4th Seal: 'Death' on a sickly, pale horse.)
What do you think the devouring creature is? (Hades, the realm of
the dead.)
Why is it there? (The horsemen are bringing plague, war,
famine, attacking wild animals, and death. Hell is the ultimate
destination for those without Christ.)
Important Note: Although this print is one of Dürer's masterpieces,
it may not be appropriate for young or sensitive children. ~KG
The Knight, Death, and the Devil, 1513, ENGRAVING on laid paper;
Note: This engraving, along with Melancholia I and Saint Jerome in His Study, is known as one of Dürer's 'Master Engravings'. It is considered to be one of his best works. Erasmus' Instructions for the Christian Soldier, published in 1504, may have inspired it.
The engraving is dated and signed by Dürer with his monogram. On the bottom left of the engraving is a table scribed "S. 1513". "S" stands for 'Salus', which means 'in the year of grace' (in the year of our Lord, AD).
Activity: Albrecht Dürer titled this print Rider. The horse's
proportions are taken from those determined by Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519). Compare Dürer's engraving to a drawing by Leonardo: Study of horse from Leonardo's journals, date unknown, Royal Library, Windsor Castle.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/54/Study_of_horse.jpg
Modern art critics give many different interpretations for this
print. Two interpretations are:
~ Interpretation #1: It is an allegory of Christian salvation. The
knight rides on a narrow trail with his loyal dog, ignoring Death and
the Devil. Death reminds the knight of his impending mortality
(hourglass). The Devil is behind the knight, trying to urge him off the
right path. In Greek legend the fox's tail was a symbol of greed,
cunning, treachery, and lust. The fox's tail on the knight's lance
indicates that he has fought his flesh and conquered it. The knight
steadfastly ignores both as he resolutely moves forward to his ultimate
reward: eternity with God (castle in the background).
Can you think of a specific Psalm that represents this
interpretation? (i.e., Psalm 23)
Read Ephesians 6:10-18 and discuss as it pertains to you personally
and to Dürer's engraving.
~ Interpretation #2: The engraving exemplifies the German robber
baron. Students who read Otto and the Silver Hand by Howard Pyle in AO
Year 2 will be familiar with robber barons. They were German nobles in
the twelfth and thirteenth centuries that illegally collected tolls
(transportation fees) from ships sailing on the Rhine River. If there
isn't any religious symbolism in the Dürer's engraving, then the fox's
tail on the knight's lance may be significant in a different manner. In
this interpretation the fox's tail indicates that the knight is prey to
sins of the flesh. (This alternative interpretation was suggested by
writer Sten Karling in 1970.)
Find verses in Proverbs that this interpretation represents. (i.e.,
Proverbs 5:22-23)
Read James 1:12-15 and discuss how these verses may apply to the
engraving.
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