An Inventory of His Art Collection at the Harry Ransom Center
Creator:
Dürer, Albrecht, 1472-1528
Title:
Albrecht Dürer Art
Collection
Dates:
circa 1500s-1900s
Extent:
45 items
Abstract:
A collection of Renaissance wood
engravings and woodcuts by German printmaker and painter Albrecht Dürer, and copies
of his works by unknown artists made after Dürer’s death. The majority of the
works
are of Christian religious subjects including the Passion cycle and the life of
the
Virgin Mary.
Call Number:
Art Collection AR-00078
Language:
English
Access:
Open for research. Please note that a minimum of 24 hours notice is required to pull
art materials to the Ransom Center's Reading and Viewing Room. Some materials
may be
restricted from viewing. To make an appointment or to reserve Art Collection
materials, please contact the Center's staff at art@hrc.utexas.edu. Researchers
must
create an online Research Account and agree to the Materials Use Policy before
using
archival materials.
Use Policies:
Ransom Center collections may contain material with sensitive or confidential
information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and
regulations. Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information
pertaining to identifiable living individuals represented in the collections without
the consent of those individuals may have legal ramifications (e.g., a cause of
action under common law for invasion of privacy may arise if facts concerning
an
individual's private life are published that would be deemed highly offensive
to a
reasonable person) for which the Ransom Center and The University of Texas at
Austin
assume no responsibility.
Restrictions on Use:
Authorization for publication is given on behalf of the University of Texas as the
owner of the collection and is not intended to include or imply permission of
the
copyright holder which must be obtained by the researcher. For more information
please see the Ransom Centers' Open Access and Use Policies.
Administrative Information
Acquisition:
Purchases, 1965, and internal transfers from the James F. Drake, Inc., and Edward
Alexander Parsons Art Collections.
Albrecht Dürer, born in Nuremberg, Germany, on May 24, 1471, was the son of a master
goldsmith. Beginning at age 15, after he showed an early aptitude for drawing,
Durer
studied painting and printing with Michael Wolgemut, the most well-known artist
in
Nuremberg. As a young man he traveled abroad for four years, likely visiting
Switerzland, the Netherlands, and Italy, where he sought to study with master
painters, engravers, and printers. He returned to Nuremberg in 1494 and set up
his
own workshop, and earned a steady stream of commissions. From 1500 to 1520
the workshop's output was prolific, producing several significant paintings,
altarpieces, woodcuts, and engravings. In the last years of his life, Dürer
concentrated his efforts on writings about human proportion and perspective. Both
the circulation of his prints and his many artistic disciples assured the
continuation of his style and innovations in painting and printmaking long after
his
death in Nurmeberg in 1528.
Sources:
"DÜRER, Albrecht." Benezit Dictionary of Artists. Oxford Art
Online. Oxford University Press, accessed July 14, 2017,
http://www.oxfordartonline.com/subscriber/article/benezit/B00056308.
Scope and Contents
The collection consists of wood engravings and woodcuts by Albrecht Dürer (German,
1471-1528) that date to the Rennaisance period. Also included are copies of his
works made later by unknown artists. The majority of the works are of Christian
religious subjects and iconography, including a full set of Dürer's series "The
Little Passion" and two scenes from his series "The Life of the Virgin." The
collection is divided into two series: I. Works by Durer, and II.
Works by others.
Related Material
An additional woodcut by Dürer can be found in the Center's Popular Imagery Art Collection
(AR-00208).
