ABOUT THIS BOOK

An exploration of the life and works of German artist Albrecht Dürer and his self-obsession.

The Italian Renaissance birthed the modern sense of self, and no artist from the period compares with Albrecht Dürer (1471–1528) in terms of the almost obsessive interest he displayed in his own life. Dürer’s works are filled with personal details from his day-to-day, his dreams, and his escapades. In this brief biography, David Ekserdjian explores Dürer’s life and times—his studies, travels, and influences—as well as his paintings, drawings, and prints. This book is essential reading for anyone interested in Renaissance or Northern European art.

AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY

David Ekserdjian is professor of the history of art and film at the University of Leicester and keeper of the university art collection. His books include The Italian Renaissance Altarpiece: Between Icon and Narrative.

REVIEWS

“Ekserdjian’s lively account . . . shows how [Dürer’s] art and autobiography continue to resound across the centuries. Dürer’s fascination with the world around him . . . [was] transferred into narrative prints, which have inspired artists from Velázquez to Lucian Freud and remain mesmerizing today.”

— Giulia Bartrum, former curator of German prints and drawings, British Museum

“An illuminating and engaging short survey of his life and achievements . . . in the more traditional vein of art-historical scholarship which conveys a lucid sense of Dürer’s challenging proto-modernity, drawing a line to Lucian Freud and Norman Rockwell.”

— Literary Review

"Ekserdjian is remarkably successful in covering Dürer's art without sacrificing his own personal fluency of literary style . . . One feels reassuringly in the hands of a discerning expert rather than a panegyrist . . . when the author's personal perspective shines through (and he is academically reticent in this), it is delightful . . . an admirable addition to an estimable series."

— The Oldie

"The eponymous subject of Ekserdjian’s deft, illuminating study is Albrecht Dürer: the German Renaissance artist who revolutionized print-making,
drawing and religious painting . . . Ekserdjian’s argument is convincing, and makes for a through-line in an unusually accessible treatment of Dürer’s life and art."

— The Daily Telegraph

"One Renaissance innovation that survives undiminished is the star artist . . . This is the case David Ekserdjian makes in Albrecht Dürer: Art and Autobiography . . . Ekserdjian recounts it all with fastidious scholarship and dry wit."

— The Spectator

"David Ekserdjian . . . has now confirmed his reputation as a Renaissance man by producing a superb new monograph on an old master from north of the Alps. Albrecht Dürer: Art and Autobiography is the perfect introduction to the great pioneer of self-portraiture."

— The Critic | Nonfiction Books of the Year

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction: Life and Times
1 Man and the Natural World
2 Study, Travel and Influence
3 Paintings
4 Drawings
5 Prints
Conclusion
References
Bibliography
Acknowledgements
Photo acknowledgements
Index

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