Publisher's Synopsis
Durer's prints and drawings inspired centuries of artists both during his life and after his death. Yet his talent as a painter and colourist, and his enthusiasm for the scientific world have not been widely appreciated. Durer's influence was both international and intergenerational; indeed Picasso claimed to have been inspired by the sixteenth-century artist. Reproduced in stunning detail and including illustrations of Durer's most famous prints and drawings, a catalogue raisonne of his paintings, and biographical research, this book presents a Durer for the twenty-first century. Producing more self-portraits than any other artist of his day; mass marketing his best-selling prints; even inventing his own monogram logo; Albrecht Durer was commercially astute long before today's generation of slick self-promoters and savvy mega-bucks artists. There are 55 extant Durer's, of which 17 are in dispute. Using the very latest scientific research, this book puts all arguments to bed resulting in the definitive catalogue raisonne of the paintings. Not since 1971 has such a feat of painstaking research been attempted. After an almost 40-year wait, the truth behind the man and his art can finally be revealed.
