Great Woodcuts of Albrecht Dürer

Here we have 94 of Durer's woodcuts, reproduced in fine detail. There is a brief introduction but no notes or commentary, not surprising for this bargain price.

As one of the prime artists of the Northern Renaissance, Durer worked across many media and wrote theoretical works on maths and proportion as well and we can see his thinking in practice in many of these woodcuts. The architectural details, for example, are intricate and quite stunning.

Anyone wanting to branch out from the more familiar Italian Renaissance artists, or explore the differing aesthetics of German art (some of it almost Gothic) would do well to star here.

Durer was a prolific and varied producer of woodcuts though it appears that the majority had some religious theme, hardly unusual for an artist of his time. What amazes me in looking through the examples provided in this book is the remarkable amount of detail he was able to create, the expressions, details of clothing or brickwork or flora and fauna. I am again also struck by the medieval European settings for biblical stories. And then there is the wonderful Rhinoceros!

Some of my favorites are among the secular entries: the animals, the astronomer, but also the second example of the Adoration of the Magi provided here. And this brings up what I see as a weakness of this book. While this is a wonderful sampling of Durer's work, there is minimal commentary and no dates (or approximations) provided so no way to know whether I prefer the early or later works or whether they are spread throughout his career.

For those interested in Durer's woodcuts, this might be a nice work to have as a handy personal resource--also for those interested in art of this period.

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.

This is a great collection of Albrecht Dürer's intricate woodcuts, without much commentary. His work is beautiful, so this collection is worth having if you are a fan of his work, or of woodcuts in general. I especially like his close portraits and his animals.

This collection features some lesser known works as well as his more acclaimed pieces. It is not particularly a thorough collection, even a thorough collection of only his woodcuts. That would be near impossible with as prolific as he was, but it is nice to see the chosen cuts together in this edition.

Lesson one from this book for me was, being only really aware of the Rhinoceros, how religious an artist Durer was. Here we get three Crucifixions, two Last Suppers, and a lot more besides. They start out at one fine level, and achieve something else when his mathematical mind produced such excellent and notable achievements in perspective. The problem with this book is you have to piece such narratives together yourself – you can see a progression in the work easily, again moving from great to superlative, but there is no editorialising, and nothing even gets a date, origin or reason. Still, such as this publisher puts out appealing primers for major authors for you to sample before moving on with your own studies, so this collection at under a hundred pages is only going to make you want to see – and read – further.

Excellent! Absolutely stunning.

With skill and artistry ahead of his time Durer demonstrates here why he is an artistic Master still beloved centuries later

'Great Woodcuts of Albrecht Dürer' is an affordable intro to this artist's work. The collection is edited by Carol Belanger Grafton and includes a short introduction.

Albrecht Dürer produced over a thousand artistic pieces druing is life. Presented here are his woodcut designs. For the woodcuts, he provided the drawing and others created the cut woodblock. The collection is primarily religious in nature, but there are secular subjects as well. There is a great amount of detail in the drawings. The crumbling walls have pits. The clothing has folds. The drawings have depth.

Some of the reproductions are a bit fuzzier. I imagine the source materials to be rather old since the work dates from the 13th Century. This would also explain the plethora of drawings of martyrs and Biblical scenes. I really enjoyed looking through this collection and seeing the minute details in every single picture, even something that looks like it's just a study for a larger drawing.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Dover Publications and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.

fabulous book

Durer 101

Dover has been saving the world from itself for decades. Long before the internet and e-books, it was busy resurrecting books from obscurity, reformatting them as readable, affordable editions of great societal value. Now this “Pictorial Series” of e-book allows us to see the best-ofs of major artists lost in the dusts of time and the megalopolis of new art and artists.

There is no great discovery here, no investigation, interview or controversy. There is a simple, quick biography followed by 94 plates and you’re on your own as to their quality and value. I for one have always been fascinated with woodcuts, a particular form of masochism that has the ability to astound when done well. And there are endless examples of it being done well. Durer’s ability to maintain proportion and perspective, his use of shading and depth, and his scientific appreciation of the human body are all on display here.

David Wineberg

Does exactly what it says on the tin - collects some of Durer's finest woodcuts together in one volume. Don't go in expecting an exploration of Durer's life and work; this is more of a coffee table book, and is a brief but beautiful celebration of one of my favourite artists!

A caveat: Durer is not one of my favorite artists. However, if you're looking for a comprehensive collection of his works, which features an array of categories, this is it.

The collection includes offerings in the biblical, extra-biblical, historical, and daily life categories. I most enjoyed seeing the rhinoceros--a touch of (almost) whimsy in the midst of a palette of dark and somber pictures. Durer's work contains anachronisms, typical of artists of his day which are most obvious in his rendering of clothing. Additionally, his portrayal of the Last Supper--a Passover Seder--is off. The participants would not have been seated on one side of a table or on chairs at an elevated table marked with Christian symbolism. That said, again, if Durer is your cup of tea, you'll enjoy this book, part of the Dover Pictorial Archive series.

Moderns have become accustomed to "instant art" and modern scribblings - but Dürer's work reminds us of the enduring excellent and craftsmanship by those artistic geniuses who dedicated their whole lives and gifting to art. Inexpensive and ongoing pleasure provided in this volume.