Durer's Record of Journeys to Venice and the Low Countries

This book draws on Durer's letters and journals written in the course of two journeys that did much to acquaint him with the artistic developments of his time. It comprises two parts: the first is a rich selection of letters written by Durer to his close friend Wilibad Pirkheimer in 1506, during his stay in Venice. These letters shed much light on Durer's exposure to the ideals and techniques of Italian Renaissance art, particularly the work of Giovanni Bellini. The second part consists of Durer's record of his travels to the low countries in 1520-21, where he met Matthias Grunewald and saw the works of Jan and Hubert van Eyck, Rogier van dew Weyden, Hugo van der Goes and other artists, as well as the Michelangelo Madonna.