poster of the exhibition |
view of the display of The Apokalypse inside the gallery |
Let me say this much in advance: I entered the exhibition at
11 am, and when I left it and asked one of the guards why it was so empty all
of a sudden, he answered “because it’s closing time”. I had spent the entire
day – until 6pm – just going through this exhibition, and I had not even
realized how time had passed.
Dürers paintings and drawings - among them the beautiful
portrait of Elsbeth Tucher is on display - are simply incredible to see in
person. To study his use of color, line and composition by viewing the original art was a
Portrait of Elsbeth Tucher by Albrecht Dürer |
Apart from this I was very impressed by the careful way in
which the curators placed all his works in context, showing work from other
artists, some of them Dürer’s teachers, to give an idea of the art scene,
interests, possibilities and style ideas at the time.
But the aspect that took me completely by surprise was a nod
to Dürer’s great entrepreneurship and his idea of copyright protection.
Apparently he was one of the first artists to sign all his work, always,
prominently and consistently.
signature on Christ by Albrecht Dürer |
He was interested in new technology and making it work for
him. His idea of creating inexpensive woodblock prints made his art accessible
for many more people, brought in a steady income and helped his fame grow.
Dürer seems to have been an artist who lived for his art but was also proud of
earning a living for himself and his family through his art. It was very
inspiring and encouraging to see his bold aknowledgement and use of the
business side, and the smart ways in which he was marketing his work.
Here's to all of us being inspired to create wonderful art, but also find new and interesting ways to present it to the world and earn a living with it!
woodcut The four Riders of the Apokalypse by Albrecht Dürer |
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