Albert Durer

Albert Durer (1471-1528) was a German painter, print maker. His high-quality woodcuts established his reputation and influence across Europe when he was still in his 20th, and he has been regarded as the greatest artist on the Northern Renaissance ever since.

Had a look through his work. There are so many. Drawings, paintings, watercolors, woodcuts and engraving. He must be a very intelligent man.

This was his self portrait when he was 13. A 13 years old could produce such a great work!

He has lots of wood cuts work and engraving. Engraving is something like lino but using a hard plate, such as cooper plate. I can imagine how difficult it would be to make marks on the cooper plate and how high skill it would require.

 Melencolia I Engraving 1514

This is one of his master prints. I first saw this work in Edward Hooper's book I borrowed. I could not quite understand it when I read the book. But I knew I liked the work. Especially when I saw it was a print. It is such a high detailed work. Dark and light worked so well. So many objects in the picture, all well positioned and well depicted. The more I look at it, the more I feel it is very still. I also notice the size of this work. It is only 24cm*18.8cm. It is so small. How difficult it would be to put so many details on such a small cooper plate! 

I found some information about this work. After reading it, I understand why it appeared in Edward Hopper's book. But I feel a bit scared. I don't like seeing dark and death in a picture. Artists suffer from different kind of mental illness is also a very scary thing.

it says that this work is  an allegorical  composition which has been subject into many different interpretations . The following is from Wikipedia:

One interpretation suggests the image references the depressive  or melancholy state and accordingly explains various elements of the picture. Among the most conspicuous are:

• The tools of geometry and architecture surround the figure, unused
• The 4 × 4 magic square, with the two middle cells of the bottom row giving the date of the engraving: 1514. The square features the traditional magic square rules based on the number 34, and in addition, the square's four quadrants, corners and center also equal this number.
• The truncated rhododendron with a human skull on it. 
• The hourglass showing time running out
• The empty scale (balance)
• The despondent winged figure of genius
• The purse and keys
• The beacon and rainbow in the sky
• Mathematical knowledge is referenced by the use of the symbols: compass, geometrical solid, magic square, scale, hourglass.

An autobiographical interpretation of Melencolia I has been suggested by several historians. Iván Fenyő considered the print a representation of the artist beset by a loss of confidence, saying: "shortly before [Dürer] drew Melancholy, he wrote: 'what is beautiful I do not know' ... Melancholy is a lyric confession, the self-conscious introspection of the Renaissance artist, unprecedented in northern art. Erwin Panofsky is right in considering this admirable plate the spiritual self-portrait of Dürer