The Complete Engravings, Etchings and Drypoints of Albrecht Dürer

Of the many masterpiece's created by Albrecht Dürer, there are 96 engravings, six etchings, and three dynamic dry points counted among his finest and best-known works. By the very nature of the medium, each fine line of an engraving is controlled by the artist and is dependent upon the pressure of the burin (an engraver's chisel) in his hand. In Dürer's engravings, he was therefore able to achieve an unprecedented intricacy of detail, subtlety of line, and three-dimensionality.

All 105 of Dürer's works in these three mediums are reproduced in this edition. Among them are his most famous works, "Knight, Death and the Devil", "Melencolia I", and "St. Jerome in His Study"; as well as portraits of his contemporaries, including Erasmus of Rotterdam and Frederick the Wise. Also included are the  popular and religious subjects sold by Dürer's wife at fairs, "Adam and Eve", the Engraved Passion (15 subjects), and "The Virgin with the Dragonfly". Many of these show off his talents as being even more charming and subtle than the comparative woodcuts.

Reproductions of Dürer's experimental impressions offer us the opportunity to study his working method. Dürer's subjects range from scenes taken from the New Testament and lives of the Saints, to sensitive portrayals of familiar peasant personalities. In addition, it is fascinating to examine the details in Dürer's representations of portentous events, such as "The Four Witches" and "Sol Justitae", both completed in 1499 in anticipation of the Final Judgment, widely predicted for the end of the century. The engraving "The Monstrous Sow of Landser", of a pig born with one head, four ears, two bodies and eight feet, on six of which it stood, and with two tongues,", similarly recorded an event regarded as an ill omen.

In this magnificent edition, the engravings, where possible, have been printed so that even Dürer's exact lines can be seen under a magnifying glass. This attention to detail in most instances was achieved by shooting directly to lithographic film from the finest impressions; likewise, except in a very few cases, the sizes have been kept exactly to the originals, complete with border-lines where indicated.  

Walter L. Strauss, art historian, publisher and collector, has prepared the commentary for this edition, providing us with invaluable background information  on the life of Dürer, and the subjects of his works, including references to major catalogs.  

If you are interested in Dürer, a copy of this edition of engravings, etchings and dry points is a must.

More information on the publisher's website.

Please note that if your order contains one or more pre-orders AND books that are available immediately, nothing will be shipped until all the books are released. If you want to get the books that are available right away, you will have to make two separate orders.