Today we continued our discussion of high renaissance in the north and mannerism. The first artist that we discussed in class today was Albrecht Durer. The influence of his father who was a goldsmith led him to develop a unique style when he joined an art and print workshop. I found his wood cut to be far more interesting and engaging than his painting though those were also interesting. Woodcut prints are far more uncommon in contemporary art which is why I think I was drawn to it. I also really appreciate how much time and care goes into the process considering there is zero room for error.
I also found the idea that the print was for mass production interesting. It is obvious that artists need to make money in some way but this is the first I remember hearing about a Renaissance artist with this type of entrepreneurial spirit. Durer’s self-portrait is also hard to ignore. Though Professor Plesch described him as someone self-obsessed I wonder if this is just part of his marketing strategy. Though this could be entirely wrong, maybe he thought if he was a more polarizing figure he would be able to sell more art.