Painter. His early training was in drawing, woodcutting and printing, which were to remain his main and favorite media throughout his artistic career. From 1486 till 1489 he was apprenticed in the workshop of Michael Wolgemut. Durer traveled in Italy many times. In 1495 he established his own workshop in Nuremberg. His best known works are his 18 engravings of the Apocalypse cycle, the most interesting of which is “The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.” One of his patrons was Frederick the Wise, Elector of Saxony from 1496, whose portrait Durer painted in 1496. He commissioned Durer to paint several altarpieces: “The Seven Sorrows of the Virgin,” “The Jabach Altarpiece,” “The Martyrdom of the Ten Thousand” and “The Adoration of the Magi.” Wealthy Nuremberg citizens were also patrons for religious works, and commissioned the following pieces: “Lot Fleeing with his daughters from Sodom,” “The Paumgartner Altarpiece,” “Lamentation for Christ,” “The Adoration of the Holy Trinity.” He was also known for his portraits, which were frequently by commission. Among his best are “Portrait of Durer’s father at 70,” “Portrait of Oswolt Krel,” “Portrait of Bernard von Reesen,” “Portrait of Hieronymus Holzschuher.” He also painted several self-portraits: “Self-Portrait at 22,” “Self-Portrait at 26” and “Self-Portrait at 28.” Durer produced many watercolour landscapes and nature studies and the best are “Saint John’s Church,” “House by a Pond,” “Willow Mill,” “A Young Hare,””The Large Turf.” Durer’s greatest masterpieces in printmaking are “Knight, Death and the Devil,” “St. Jerome in his study” and “Melencolia I.” Emperor Maximilian commissioned him huge print “The Triumpha Arch” and granted him a pension of 100 florins. After Maximilian’s death in 1519, Durer had to travel to Netherlands to the court of the Emperor Charles V to have the pension confirmed. Durer is the greatest of all German artists of any period. (bio by: Jelena)